Before automobiles became the main mode of transport around and between New Hampshire's towns, people used to walk a lot more. To make it easier, certain infrastructure had to be built to make getting around and over natural features possible. This included pedestrian bridges over rivers, which were crucial for providing power to many of the state's mills and factories. In the town of Milford, you can visit one of these historic bridges in NH which is still very much the same as when it was built in the late 19th century.
Spanning the Souhegan River in Milford, the Milford Suspension Bridge stretches 275 feet over the waterway between Bridge Street and Souhegan Street.
The bridge was built in 1889 and was extensively renovated in 1975 with the addition of chain link fencing along the entire span.
The bridge is the only remaining structure in New Hampshire constructed by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Berlin, Connecticut. The company built many iron bridges across the northeast, such as the Washington Street Pedestrian Bridge in Binghamton, New York.
Berlin Iron Bridge Company was known for its ornate and intricate designs, which would eventually place many of its creations in the National Register of Historic Places.
The bridge was built at a time in Milford's history when foot travel was common from the residential area on one side of the river to the industrial area on the other side.
While the industry of yesteryear is no longer present, the bridge still serves the same function: to transport the citizens of Milford between neighborhoods.
To reach this span, one of the more historic bridges in NH, park in downtown Milford and walk a short distance east along Bridge Street to the river. Enjoy this piece of local history!
Catch some more New Hampshire history by visiting these small towns that are steeped in it, get caught up on some facts you may not know, or look back on what life was like here in the early 1900s.
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