About
The McWilliam Covered Bridge, also known as the Grafton Cheese Factory bridge, crosses the South Branch of the Saxtons River about half a mile south-southwest of Grafton village in Windham County. It stands on the east side of Townshend Road. The bridge is a single 62-foot span built in 1967. It is a stringer bridge rather than a timber truss, and Wikipedia lists it among Vermont's non-authentic covered bridges.
History
The Vermont Covered Bridge Society credits the 1967 bridge to builder S. MacMillan. The sources consulted give no other history.
Design
As a covered stringer bridge, it carries its deck on beams and uses the roof and walls only as a covering, with no load-bearing truss. It is one span of 62 feet.
Visiting
The bridge is on Townshend Road about half a mile south-southwest of its junction with VT 121 (Main Street) in Grafton. Wikipedia lists its access as public, meaning it can be reached without trespassing. No source states whether vehicles use it.
Sources: List of non-authentic covered bridges in Vermont (Wikipedia), Grafton Cheese Factory/McWilliam Bridge (Vermont Covered Bridge Society), 45-13-E (Dale J. Travis)
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Location
Townshend Road, Grafton, VermontSimilar Bridges in category
Explore More
Spade Farm Covered Bridge
Ferrisburgh, Addison County. Built c. 1850, 85 ft over a storm drainage ditch. Moved in 1958 from Old Hollow Road in North Ferrisburgh to Sam Spade's farm.
Pulp Mill Covered Bridge
Middlebury and Weybridge, Addison County. Built c. 1820, 199 ft over Otter Creek. A double-barreled, two-lane covered bridge that still carries Seymour Street traffic.
Halpin Covered Bridge
Middlebury, Addison County. Built 1850, 66 ft over the Muddy Branch of the New Haven River. At about 41 ft above the stream, it is Vermont's highest covered bridge above a stream bed.