During the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth centuries, the erection of nearly one thousand covered bridges was recorded in New England's archives. However, the ravages of time, storms, floods, neglect, and vandals have reduced the remaining historic, authentic covered bridges to fewer than two hundred. While the majority of these bridges are in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire, wonderful examples of covered bridges can be found in all six of the New England states.
In the preparation for writing this book, the Evanses traveled 13,821 miles documenting and photographing more than 200 covered bridges. The introduction to the book familiarizes readers with covered bridges by discussing their history, twelve different kinds of truss designs, and current preservation and restoration efforts. The Evanses provide, for each of the 206 bridges in this book, the name of the bridge, its location, specific directions to the bridge, its year of construction, its truss design, and the name of the waterway it crosses. Additional information includes whether the bridge is in use, its number of spans, the names of its owner and builder, its length and width, its condition, number, national register data, and anecdotal material. A short glossary of covered-bridge terminology is also included.