New Hampshire

A Cloudy Morning at the Edge of the Pilot Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire /  by Todd Henson

A Cloudy Morning at the Edge of the Pilot Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire

I recently showed a photo of evening at the edge of the Pilot Range in Lancaster, New Hampshire, and today I’m showing a very similar view the following morning around sunrise with a sky full of clouds. The scenery is much the same, facing the direction of Northumberland and Stark, with the western edge of the Pilot Range, part of the White Mountains, visible on the right and other mountains such as Cape Horn and Moore Mountain visible towards the left and center. But despite the similarities, the feel of the photo differs because of the lighting and differences in coloration, as well as differences in the character of the clouds in the sky. I very much enjoyed that location and all the variety it offered from day to day.

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Historic Mechanic Street Covered Bridge (Lancaster, New Hampshire) /  by Todd Henson

Mechanic Street Covered Bridge, Lancaster, New Hampshire

The town of Lancaster once had three covered bridges spanning the Israel River, which weaves its way through the town, but today only one of those remains, the Mechanic Street Covered Bridge. It was originally built in 1862, the same year the Main Street Covered Bridge was built, which garnered much more attention as it was apparently a grand covered bridge.

Driving inside the Mechanic Street Covered Bridge in Lancaster, New Hampshire

The Mechanic Street Covered Bridge is an example of a Paddleford truss structure, and is a single-span bridge of 94 feet. Its iconic red color stands out as you drive up Mechanic Street from either direction, and there’s a small but nice park with a bench along Pleasant Street and the banks of the Israel River.

A view of the Mechanic Street Covered Bridge from Pleasant Street in Lancaster, New Hampshire

There have been two major renovations to the bridge. In 1962, just after the bridge’s 100th anniversary, an oversized dump truck plowed into the entrance of the bridge. A sign at the bridge says that same year was the first major renovation, though the book, Covered Bridges of New Hampshire (see below), says records indicate the renovation occurred in 1967. Both the sign and the book agree that the second major renovation occurred in 2006.

An angled view of the single-span Mechanic Street Covered Bridge in Lancaster, New Hampshire

The Mechanic Street Covered Bridge is number 31 in the New Hampshire list of covered bridges. We visited this bridge on June 19th, 2025. Click here to see the list of covered bridges we visited while traveling through New Hampshire in mid-2025.

Viewing the Mechanic Street Covered bridge from the Israel River

Resources

Most of the details within this post were learned either from signs at the bridge or from the fantastic book, Covered Bridges of New Hampshire by Kim Varney Chandler, which I purchased from a small local shop in Lincoln while on our trip. It’s well worth it if you plan to visit the area or are just interested in covered bridges and their history and construction. The link takes you to the author’s website for the book with lots of extra information and with links to let you purchase directly from her.

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Evening at the Edge of the Pilot Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire /  by Todd Henson

Evening at the Edge of the Pilot Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire

The sun was setting in mid-June as I looked out behind the Cabot Inn & Suites in Lancaster, New Hampshire, facing the direction of Northumberland and Stark. The western edge of the Pilot Range, part of the White Mountains is visible on the right. Towards the left and center we see other peaks, such as Cape Horn and Moore Mountain.

What a beautiful view each morning and evening.

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