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township. The wooden bridge was replaced with the more durable stone arch bridge in 1835. Solid abutment supports were constructed on each river bank. A wooden frame shaped like the underside of the bridge, was constructed over the river. The stones where then set on the frame, without mortar. The bridge was filled in with rubble and dirt, which over time would compress against the abutments. The wooden frame was then removed. If constructed correctly a stone arch bridge should last indefinitely, but the Sands Bridge is not a well built bridge. Photographic evidence shows the keystone had slipped by the late nineteenth century. The bridge was used consistently until it was taken out of service in 1963 when the
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In May 2009, the bridge was in a terrible state of disrepair and in danger of collapse. However, Methuen city officials wanted to make the area more accessible to the public and have unveiled plans to restore the bridge and build an adjoining park with walking paths, viewing areas, "rustic seating"
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The location, along the old Dracut Path, was a marshy area of the
Spicket River that could be forded by horse or cart. The ford eventually was bridged. The earliest town record, from the Town meeting of 1730, show a simple plank bridge was used which required regular maintenance at the cost of the
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As of Sept. 2012, the city of
Methuen has allowed the bridge to fall further into disrepair. City officials have not taken any action to care for the bridge.
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221:. Built without mortar between the stones, parts of it date back to 1735. It was used to handle traffic between Methuen and
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was built. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places June 20, 1984.
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List of bridges on the
National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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Road bridges on the
National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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National
Register of Historic Places listings in Methuen, Massachusetts
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National
Register of Historic Places in Methuen, Massachusetts
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U.S. National
Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
381:"Officials plan park at Methuen's Sands Bridge site"
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History of the
National Register of Historic Places
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990:Buildings and structures in Methuen, Massachusetts
947:National Register of Historic Places portal
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35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
1010:Stone arch bridges in the United States
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995:Bridges in Essex County, Massachusetts
318:"National Register Information System"
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347:. Charleston, SC: the History Press.
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323:National Register of Historic Places
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205:or more commonly known as the
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379:Huggins, J.J. (May 8, 2009).
104:Show map of the United States
344:Methuen: an Eclectic History
203:Double-arch Sandstone Bridge
27:Double-arch Sandstone Bridge
16:United States historic place
910:National Historic Landmarks
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905:Cape Cod National Seashore
209:, is a historic dry stone
985:Bridges completed in 1735
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179:NRHP reference
79:Show map of Massachusetts
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959:United States portal
278:Sands Bridge North Side
266:Sands Bridge circa 1900
52:Sands Bridge South Side
1000:Methuen, Massachusetts
456:Keeper of the Register
219:Methuen, Massachusetts
118:Methuen, Massachusetts
471:National Park Service
451:Contributing property
328:National Park Service
217:on Hampshire Road in
145:42.74250°N 71.20806°W
391:on September 7, 2012
341:Gagnon, Dan (2008).
223:Salem, New Hampshire
251:and a parking lot.
150:42.74250; -71.20806
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238:was rerouted and
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587:Barnstable County
461:Historic district
385:The Eagle Tribune
354:978-1-59629-422-6
330:. April 15, 2008.
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361:on 2009-02-05
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240:Interstate 93
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236:Spicket River
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195:June 20, 1984
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878:southwestern
873:northwestern
634:Essex County
393:. Retrieved
389:the original
384:
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363:. Retrieved
359:the original
343:
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253:
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207:Sands Bridge
206:
202:
200:
893:Other lists
853:Southbridge
733:Marlborough
687:Springfield
620:New Bedford
211:arch bridge
174:Methuen MRA
148: /
124:Coordinates
974:Categories
783:Winchester
758:Somerville
718:Framingham
646:Gloucester
615:Fall River
594:Barnstable
501:Barnstable
395:2009-05-08
365:2009-05-11
301:References
136:71°12′29″W
133:42°44′33″N
863:Worcester
799:Brookline
768:Wakefield
723:Lexington
708:Cambridge
703:Arlington
566:Worcester
546:Nantucket
541:Middlesex
536:Hampshire
506:Berkshire
213:over the
935:Category
858:Uxbridge
835:southern
830:northern
763:Stoneham
753:Sherborn
656:Lawrence
570:northern
556:Plymouth
526:Franklin
284:See also
186:84002326
114:Location
900:Bridges
868:eastern
773:Waltham
748:Reading
738:Medford
713:Concord
666:Methuen
651:Ipswich
641:Andover
625:Taunton
599:Harwich
561:Suffolk
551:Norfolk
531:Hampden
511:Bristol
229:History
915:Boston
825:Boston
809:Quincy
804:Milton
778:Weston
743:Newton
728:Lowell
444:Topics
351:
671:Salem
521:Essex
516:Dukes
161:Built
661:Lynn
349:ISBN
201:The
164:1835
181:No.
170:MPS
976::
383:.
326:.
320:.
309:^
225:.
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568:(
429:e
422:t
415:v
398:.
368:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
