The covered bridge connecting Ware and Hardwick over the Ware River is one of the few remaining spans of its kind in Massachusetts.
Other such bridges are on the map, but many are open to foot traffic only.
Known by locals as the Gilbertville Covered Bridge, the bridge is a welcomed sight for motorists in search of a 137-foot ride through history. The bridge dates to 1886, when the Gilbertville section of Hardwick was a major player in the woolen industry.
George H. Gilbert Manufacturing Co. was a maker of high-grade woolen flannels, the factories initially on the Ware side of the river. In 1860, with members of the extended Gilbert family having joined the business, the company bought a mill on the other side of the river in the southwest part of Hardwick. Some called the land the Hardwick Gore. Before long, with the area expanding in population, fueled by the construction of worker housing, the village was labeled Gilbertville.
The covered bridge over the Ware River was built during the company’s heyday. For years it was overseen by a committee of Ware and Hardwick residents. At one time, the midway point of the bridge had a white stripe marking the Ware-Hardwick line.
The Gilbert mills had 1,000 employees by 1900. Lewis Gilbert, the nephew of the founder and one-time company president, was married to Mary Dwight Lane of Brimfield. The former Mary Lane Hospital in Ware has its roots as one of many community organizations backed by the Gilberts. It was originally a visiting nursing assocation.
The lattice-truss bridge, designed by Ithiel Town, a native of nearby Thompson, Connecticut, has been battered by weather and traffic over the years. It withstood major flooding in the 1930s.
It has remained a drawing card for Hardwick over the years. Its role as a landmark was evident during the eight years it was out of service, starting in 2002. Covered-bridge enthusiasts, in Hardwick, Ware and beyond, lobbied to resurrect the span.
At that time, to the disappointment of arriving tourists, barriers were placed at each end of the bridge, the result of state engineers saying it was no longer safe to carry cars.
After years of delays, the bridge reopened in 2010.
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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Then & Now: Gilbertville Covered Bridge, Hardwick/Ware
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