Covered bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire 1974

This photograph from 1974 shows the historic covered bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire, a beloved landmark tucked into the scenic White Mountains. Painted in the region’s traditional deep red, the bridge—locally known as the Honeymoon Bridge—has carried travelers across the Ellis River since it was built in 1876. Its lattice truss design is a classic example of 19th-century New England engineering, created to withstand harsh winters while offering stability and protection from the elements.

In the image, a white early-1970s car emerges from the shadowed interior, capturing the rhythm of everyday travel before the interstate era fully replaced rural routes and slower scenic drives. Speed limit signs, narrow lanes, and the wooden guard rails reflect the bridge’s status as a working historic structure—not a museum piece, but part of daily life.

Surrounded by lush spring foliage and framed by distant mountains, Jackson’s covered bridge evokes a timeless sense of place. In the 1970s, the town was already gaining popularity with skiers, hikers, and tourists drawn to the beauty of the White Mountains and the charm of New England architecture. Today the bridge remains one of the most photographed in the region and a cherished symbol of Jackson’s heritage. Many visitors still walk or drive through it just as travelers did a century earlier—and just as captured here in this quiet moment from 1974.