Buskirk Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Buskirk Bridge


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crosses = Hoosic River
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Infobox_nrhp | name =Buskirk Covered Bridge
nrhp_type =
locmapin = New York


caption =
nearest_city= Buskirk, New York
lat_degrees = 42 | lat_minutes = 57 | lat_seconds = 29.54 | lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 73 | long_minutes = 26 | long_seconds = 0.34 | long_direction = W
area =
built =1850
architect=
architecture=
added = March 08, 1978cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Local
mpsub=Covered Bridges of Washington County TR
refnum=78003457

Buskirk Bridge is a covered bridge and is the name of the hamlet in which it is located. It is in the town of Hoosick. The bridge, which crosses the Hoosic River is one of 29 historic covered bridges in New York State.

Town and Howe truss designs were patented by Ithiel Town in 1820 and William Howe in 1840, respectively. The Buskirk Bridge a Howe truss design, and was built to replace a previous Burr arch truss. It is perhaps the earliest Howe truss bridge that survives in New York State. [The MPS document at one point seems to contradict itself, saying the "Town truss type is represented...by the bridges at Buskirk and at Rexleigh" and also it "is the earliest Howe truss bridge surviving in New York State" (page 3), but elsewhere it is clear that the Buskirk and Rexleigh bridges are both of the Howe truss design.]

A topographic map of its location appears in its individual inventory document prepared by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in 1977.cite web|last=Smith|first=R.W.|title=Building/Structure Inventory: Rexleigh Covered Bridge |url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=10043 |date=October, 1977|accessdate=2008-02-08|publisher=Division of Historic Preservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]

It is one of four Washington County covered bridges submitted for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in a multiple property submission.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://www.nr.nps.gov/multiples/64000546.pdf Covered Bridges of Washington County TR / Buskirk, Rexleigh, Eagleville, and Shushan Covered Bridges] |708 KiB |date=December, 1977 |author=Raymond W. Smith |publisher=National Park Service] The others are the Rexleigh Bridge, the Eagleville Bridge, and Shushan Bridge. All four were listed on the National Register on March 8, 1972.

The bridge continues in use for vehicles, and is maintained jointly by Washington County and Rensselaer County.

References

External links

* [http://www.nycoveredbridges.org/page34.html Buskirk Bridge, at New York State Covered Bridge Society]
* [http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ny/buskirk.html Buskirk Bridge, at Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA, a website developed by Hank Brickel]