The Skilton Road Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge, carrying Skilton Road across the Nonewaug River in Northwestern Watertown, Connecticut. The bridge was built in 1865–66, and is a rare well-preserved example of a mid-19th century stone bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Description and history The Skilton Road Bridge is located in a rural-residential area of Northwestern Watertown, spanning the Nonewaug River between Hinman Road and Hickory Lane. The bridge has an overall length of , with a single arch spanning . It is made of dry laid local stone, and is built on a stone ledge on one side and a stone abutment on the other. The stones which form the barrel of the arch are roughly worked, while those filling the spandrels show little evidence of work. The arch is a slightly asymmetrical segmented arch, probably due to the difficulties involved in working at the site. The bridge is wide, and carries a single lane of traffic.
The bridge was built either in 1865–66, after the town voted in 1865 to fund its construction; Skilton Road was at the time the major route between Watertown and Bethlehem. Stone, a more expensive construction material than wood, was probably chosen because of its longer lifespan, and because a mill dam just upstream (now breached) whose breach would have caused flooding that would endanger a wooden bridge. This bridge is fairly typical of mid-19th century stone bridges, which were once quite numerous in the state.
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Litchfield County, Connecticut List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
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