the bridge was built on the site of earlier bridges that gave access to the "pine ground", an area with a large number of pine trees, and the eventual site of a saw mill. when the railroad arrived in the area in the late 1860s, depot road was run across the bridge to connect the town to the station. the previous bridge, in bad condition even before the arrival of the railroad, was probably subjected to heavier traffic afterward, and the town decided to replace it in 1887. the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1978 and restored for pedestrian, bicycle, and snowmobile use in 1981-2.