Vermont is covered bridge country. With over 100 spread across the countryside, Vermont has more covered bridges per square mile than any other state! This makes for some seriously scenic backroads driving. But these bridges are oftentimes much more than just mere water crossings. They are also fantastic pieces of history. The Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge is one such place. It actually marks the location of a lost mill town.
Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge carries Greenbanks Hollow Road across Joes Brook in Danville. However, back in 1849, this area was a mill town known as Greenbanks Hollow. For more than 50 years, the mill town thrived but eventually, the village was abandoned.
The center of Greenbanks Hollow was the five-story woolen factory, the largest in the area during the mid-1800s. It employed 45 people who produced 700 yards of cloth each day. The mill supported 25 families and many sheep farmers of the surrounding area.
On top of the mill, the town also had a post office, store, gristmill, sawmill, school, and several residences. The buildings were all owned by Benjamin Greenbank, mill owner and namesake of the town.
In 1885, a fire devastated the mill, a handful of residences, the store, and the covered bridge. Greenbank decided to move his operation to New Hampshire. During the next three years, many of the residents moved away. The town slowly declined and the school shut its doors in 1912.
What remains now is the rebuilt covered bridge, the brook that fueled the mill operations, and a few partial stone foundations. The bridge while a picturesque part of the countryside is also a historical marker of the lost town of Greenbanks Hollow.
For more information on this lost town, visit the Danville Vermont Historical Society website.
Check out an aerial video of Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge in this footage filmed by YouTube user, John Predom.
Have you ever crossed Greenbanks Hollow Covered Bridge? If you love touring Vermont's history by visiting charming covered bridges, head out on this scenic road trip as soon as you can.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
