The Brick Store
On the National Register of Historic Places, The Brick Store is the Oldest Continuously Operated General Store in the United States. The Brick Store is in the center of Bath, New Hampshire.
Enjoy a nostalgic step back in time with over 200 years of Rich History. The Brick Store has been in business since the early 1790’s. A must stop on your trip to Bath, New Hampshire.
The Covered Bridge Capital of New England – Bath, New Hampshire
Discover 3 Covered Bridges right here in the little town of Bath, New Hampshire.
The Bath Village Bridge – located right behind The Brick Store in Bath, NH.
Built in 1832. At 375 feet long, it is the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire.
Spanning the Ammonoosuc River the Bath Village Bridge is a busy bridge connecting Bath Village to West Bath.
The Bath-Haverhill Bridge – located on Rte 135 just north of Rte 302 in Woodville, NH.
Built in 1829. At 257 feet long, it is the oldest standing covered bridge in New Hampshire.
Spanning the Ammonoosuc River it connected Bath and Haverhill, NH. The bridge is no longer open to vehicle traffic but is open for pedestrian traffic.
The Swiftwater Bridge – located just off Rte 112 in Swiftwater, NH.
Built in 1849. At 159 feet long, it is a photographer’s delight.
Spanning the Wild Ammonoosuc River the Swiftwater Bridge is located right above two waterfalls. The bridge is very busy in the summer and a great place to stop to swim on a hot summer day.
All three Covered Bridges are Registered Historic Landmarks.
The Bath Village Covered Bridge is known as the “kissin” bridge for reasons that shouldn’t be hard to figure out. We are assured by several “locals” who make it their business to know such things, that it is a name well earned.
Why are Wooden Bridges Covered? Some folks say it was so they looked like barns so the horses wouldn’t get skittish, or the roof kept demons out, or the snow off the road. Well, the real reason was to protect the timbers from rotting from the rain.
In the winter the wagons were put away and the horse drawn sleighs came out. This gave the road agent his toughest winter job. Keeping a good snow cover “in the bridge”, so the sleighs could glide through…. Times have changed!