In 1776, the town’s first significant bridge was constructed on South Rangeway (Warner Road) over the Blackwater River. It was built by Sinker Bean and Nathaniel Meloon, both residents of the Smith’s Corner area. Later known as McAlister Bridge, it still exists today, though it has likely been replaced multiple times over the years.
In 1777, a bridge was constructed over the Blackwater on the Center Rangeway by Capt. Iddo Scribner of Scribner’s Corner. The Center Rangeway may never have fully existed, and the bridge was likely located on Scribner Road, east of Scribner’s Corner. It was destroyed during the Hurricane of 1938, cutting off direct access to Salisbury Heights. The bridge was never rebuilt, as the town’s population had dropped below 400, leading to other priorities, new population clusters, and changing traffic patterns. Photos are needed.
For more information about the 1938 Hurricane, Wicked Weather, Natural Disasters & Events
Peter’s Bridge
Peters Bridge, situated in West Salisbury near Plains Road, stands close to where the North Rangeway would have crossed if it had been completed. Constructed in 1883 by Plina A. Fellows for $584.39, it was built with the help of locals working to pay off their taxes. This historic bridge is mentioned in “Covered Bridges: Can Talk” by Lewis A. Harlow.
Peters Bridge has been replaced and is now a property of the US Army Corps of Engineers, accessible only during daylight hours. It’s a stunning spot to visit during the summer months. The following photograph is from 2025.
1893 Pingree Bridge
Constructed over the mighty Blackwater, carrying Mountain Road across the river at the junction of West Salisbury Road and Mountain Road, it featured a 77-foot span. The bridge had a wrought iron, pin-connected, Pratt pony truss superstructure, supported by full-height stone and concrete abutments.
In 1989, the bridge was rehabilitated to a 10-ton capacity. By May 2006, its condition required the weight limit to be reduced to 3 tons. In June 2006, the NHDOT restored the weight limit to 10 tons, with traffic averaging 75 vehicles per day. A Project Booklet included images and details. By September 2008, an Engineering Study Report for the Pingee Bridge on Mountain Road over the Blackwater was prepared by VHB/Vanasse Hangen Bruslin, Inc. of Bedford, NH, outlining plans, engineering drawings, and studies for the new bridge. Ultimately, the bridge was replaced.
Twin Bridges are no longer in existence. These bridges are a mystery.
The question is, why were such elaborate bridges built? Early records suggest that in the earliest settlement, there was a mill across the river from Bay Road at this site. An old map of the area predating 1800 is needed to better understand the old traffic patterns.
The two bridges spanned the Blackwater River, which split around the island after “the Bays.” They were situated just a short distance north of the intersection of West Salisbury Road and Bay Road, near the old mill on Bay Road. The dates remain uncertain, but examining early Andover Roads leading into West Salisbury might shed light on the history of these bridges.
Smaller bridges likely existed from the earliest days, spanning larger streams and rushing brooks.
- South Rangeway (Route 127) crosses Stirrup Iron Brook, a location that hosted several successive mills for over a century.
- South Rangeway (Route 127) crosses Beaver Dam Brook just south of the site where a mill once stood.
- In the Center Rangeway area at Loverin and Hensmith, a mill once stood on the stream, suggesting the probable existence of a small bridge.
- The wetlands on Bog Road partially collect runoff from Searles Hill and were once part of a traveled road, possibly featuring a small bridge.
- Mill Brook, situated in the floodplain, might have once featured a small bridge, too.