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Jan 06, 2024

Harvey's Brook Bridge to become part of the Granite State Rail Trail

Structure originally called Harvey’s Brook Bridge when built in 1849, according

Structure originally called Harvey's Brook Bridge when built in 1849, according to Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society

Structure originally called Harvey's Brook Bridge when built in 1849, according to Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society

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Structure originally called Harvey's Brook Bridge when built in 1849, according to Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society

Not far from Manchester's bustling South Willow Street lies a hidden treasure buried in the woods for decades.

The Cohas Brook Train Trestle had stood alone for 34 years. But now, thousands will see and cross the once mighty wooden bridge as it becomes part of the Granite State Rail Trail.

"It's super exciting," said Rick Kfoury, of B&M Railroad Historical Society. "The fact that they are saving it, and they are going to make it look like it used to, as opposed to putting in a steel bridge or something, you just can't get better than that."

It was originally called Harvey's Brook Bridge when it was built in 1849, according to the Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society.

Part of the bustling Manchester and Lawrence railroad and situated in farmland back then, trains crossed the trestle and brought textile supplies between the mill cities.

The trestle, located close to where the airport is now, was rebuilt in 1932. It's 153 feet long, and 41 feet high.

The only known photo of the trestle was taken in 1967, the last time a passenger train went over the bridge.

Rail service ended in 1989, and the bridge has been abandoned ever since.

The majority of the rail line is now paved, as part of the Granite State Rail Trail through Londonderry, Derry, Windham, and Salem.

The airport section is still to come and this trestle, hidden no longer, is sure to become one of the gems along the way.

"It's going to allow people to ask questions about when was it last used, what was it used for, what kind of trains came through here, so kind of bridging that universe between recreational biking and hiking and the railroad interest," Kfoury said.

Former TWA pilot Dane Malcom took a photo of the structure in 1967 with a Honeywell film camera, and 56 years later, and now 81 years young, he revisited the old trestle.

"I heard the whistle, I knew I didn't have a long time. So I went down through here, found a clearing, and I just got the camera up when it came through," Malcom said. "It was like, there it is, and I caught it."

Work on the bridge and the trail should be completed this fall.