Downtown Franklin is experiencing a rebirth, and with it, growing pains for the first time in decades. Its historic core, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes a Main Street, mill yard, and a new whitewater park for outdoor enthusiasts. The enthusiasm behind the park emphasizes the renewed importance of the Winnipesaukee River to Franklin’s economic vitality and identity.

Mill City Park is a planned recreational area centered around the rapids of the Winnipesaukee River at the eastern end of downtown. The planned park incorporates two historic bridges that once carried railroad traffic on a spur line connecting the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad to the Northern Railroad. Closer to Main Street is the iconic Trestle Bridge, built in 1890. This fastened timber structure rests on piers of cut granite and was in use until the early 1970s.

Up river, accessed by a recreational trail, is the Sulphite Bridge, also sometimes called the Upside Down Covered Bridge. The triple span wooden structure was built in 1897 with Pratt trusses. It is the sole surviving deck-type railroad covered bridge in the United States. The name Sulphite came from the nearby pulp and paper mills, which required large amounts of this material in the manufacturing process. The Sulphite Bridge survived an arson attempt in 1980, which burned off its vertical board siding and severely charred the timbers.

The City of Franklin was awarded a pedestrian improvement grant for the Trestle Bridge and is currently working on cost estimates for its rehabilitation. A council vote in October 2023 directed the city to pursue replacement in-kind rather than rehabilitation. Total costs for replacement or rehabilitation are expected to be around $5 million, of which the city must chip in twenty percent, or $1 million. In a city that must balance the immediate needs of its residents and be mindful of the tax rate, such an investment is a difficult decision.

And yet, many in Franklin see the bridges, and especially the more visible Trestle, as landmarks that distinguish Franklin from other cities in New Hampshire and New England. Between the growing momentum of the whitewater park and new housing units being added in historic downtown buildings, bridge advocates believe now is the time to leverage Franklin’s opportunity to reinvent itself.

Meanwhile, the Sulphite Bridge, which is owned by the Department of Transportation and individually listed to the National Register has no plans for rehabilitation, yet. By including these unique resources on the Seven to Save list, the Preservation Alliance hopes to be a bridge itself, connecting resources to city leaders, the Department of Transportation, and the local advocates who see the potential of these restored landmarks.

( TEXT CREDIT: https://www.nhpreservation.org/blog/seven-to-save-2023-trestle-and-sulphite-bridges?fbclid=IwAR1VL1cikH19lrweSvhQDcG1QPhnhVX9LdOB0jix8jy1kclDNCMdeVofga8_aem_AQs1GbP60iirVtQBV91Ta_Tl9S9cIq3uOpnRmQ8OUsaLdV7Q9vHUPIYPiZkkn-Pxd4Q )