The Arch Bridge carries Benner Road over the Pemaquid River in the village of Bristol Mills. The bridge is a single span and measures 21' long. It is constructed of rubble stone arch rings and dry laid stone spandrels. The rocks vary in size and some were roughly quarried, while others were simply used in their natural shape. The opening of the arch is 14 wide and the arch is 14 high. A metal guardrail runs along the roadway and the bridge. The date of construction for the Arch Bridge is undetermined at this time. An 1815 map of Bristol shows a bridge at this location, along with two others in Bristol Mills. At that time the Benner Road connected Bristol Mills with a grist mill at Biscay Pond. Early town records, however, do not document when the bridge was constructed. The pre-1857 date is given because an 1857 map of Lincoln County, based on the alignment of Benner Road, suggests that this bridge was in place at that time. Stone arch bridges were common in the nineteenth century because their sturdy nature allowed them to carry heavy loads and withstand flood waters. The Arch Bridge is not an elaborate structure, which suggests that is was constructed by local laborers.
Year Listed: 2003
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=ceaccd96-f589-47a5-bb7d-04c06766a42c