NEW SALEM — State officials and members of the volunteer-run nonprofit Friends of Quabbin gathered on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the completion of work on the historic Keystone Bridge near Quabbin Reservoir Gate 30.
The damage to the bridge was first noticed by two people — coincidentally named Janice and Randy Stone — in the summer of 2021 while the two were searching for unusual ferns along the trail that uses the bridge to span the Swift River’s middle branch. They noticed the portion of the bridge leading to the actual arch had collapsed, with several large boulders rolling down toward the stream. As a result, the bridge was closed to the public.
Friends Treasurer Paul Godfrey, who acted as clerk of the works on the project, explained that three options regarding the future of the bridge were considered.
“One was to ignore the whole thing … but that presented a huge liability. The second was to … tear this one down and put a culvert in,” he said. “The third was to take the bridge out completely.”
Instead, it was decided to repair the bridge to preserve its history and allow the public to continue using it.
Rather than seek state funding to undertake the project, which would have created delays, Godfrey explained, the Friends decided to take on the task of fundraising. This resulted in the Friends raising more than $120,000 to underwrite the project and, “over a two-month period, repairs were made to stabilize the bridge using stone and other materials sourced from within the Quabbin watershed.”
Godfrey said the total cost of the project came to about $106,000.
The masonry work was done by Michael Weitzner of Brattleboro, Vermont, in collaboration with Curtis Construction Services of Brookfield. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Water Supply Protection provided in-kind support, such as engineering assistance and site monitoring by wildlife biologists.
A statement from the Friends of Quabbin explained that the bridge was constructed in 1866 by Adolphus Porter to carry traffic along the Orange-Millington Road over the Swift River. The technique used to build the bridge relies entirely on gravity to hold the stone arch in place. No mortar was used.
State Rep. Aaron Saunders, D-Belchertown, said the bridge repair effort is an urgent reminder of the state’s enduring responsibility to the Quabbin region.
“The deal that was made at the time, and not with everyone’s agreement, was that if the Quabbin was going to disincorporate four towns, our region was going to be able to preserve the memory, the artifacts, that we were going to have access to this land in perpetuity,” he said. “This is another reminder, in cooperation with DCR, of how important that is to our region and how important that is to the entire commonwealth.”
“The Quabbin has such a great history, along with the people who have cared for the Quabbin over generations, like many of you here,” state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, told those in attendance at Thursday’s ceremony.
Because of its importance to the state as a whole, Comerford said, it is important “to keep the history of this beautiful place alive. It’s quite the triumph, made possible by the partnership between the DCR by so many people and the Friends of Quabbin.”
“The dedication you show is really unmatched and it is inspiring to me,” she added.
DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle called the work of the Friends of Quabbin “just amazing.” She said the collaboration between the nonprofit and the state has been a model partnership.
“When we talk about DCR stepping in and staying in, it was really because of all the volunteers and your vision,” she said.
“I think about hikers who will be coming into this area and happen upon a very special bridge,” LaChapelle added. “I would expect it would have an impact on how blessed and beautiful this land is.”