Description of Historic Place

The Florenceville Bridge is a combination steel-truss span and wooden covered bridge that crosses the Saint John River. The bridge, a prominent feature of Florenceville-Bristol, is 49.9 metres long and links East Florenceville to West Florenceville.

Heritage Value

The Florenceville Bridge is designated a Local Historic Place because it represents a significant moment in the growth and development of the former village of Florenceville. Prior to the construction of the original bridge in 1885, movement between the east and west sides of Florenceville were dependent on ferry travel. The first post office and the commercial section of the village were situated on the west side of the river, however, over time, the business centre migrated to the east side. The construction of the bridge signified that the need of villagers to cross the river frequently and at will became greater than the ferry could accommodate. The present bridge, built in 1911, is located on the site of the original 1885 bridge, which was destroyed by fire.

The bridge is also designated for its architectural value as one of New Brunswick’s covered bridges. Now only partially covered, the bridge was once covered on both ends. The west side covered span was destroyed in a fire in 1932.

Source: Florenceville-Bristol Town Office, Historic Places file, "Florenceville Bridge"

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Florenceville Bridge include:
- length covering 49.9 metres;
- location connecting East Florenceville to West Florenceville;
- one covered span;
- four steel thru-trusses;
- one plate girder.