​In 1840, a wooden toll bridge was erected at the site of the currant Boardman Bridge. It was swept away in the flood of 1854 and rebuilt in 1887-1888 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. of East Berlin, CT.
​             At 188 feet in length, Boardman Bridge is the longest of only three lenticular through trusses remaining in Connecticut, and was one of the first Berlin bridges to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. At 188 feet in length, Boardman Bridge is the longest of only three lenticular through trusses remaining in Connecticut (as of August 2001), and was one of the first Berlin bridges to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its inclusion in the Register means a permanent maintenance and  preservation  as part of our nation’s history. Lenticular describes the arched shape of the truss.  Lenticular truss design originated in Europe in the early 19th century, and the Berlin Bridge Company was granted two patents in the United States, in 1878 and 1885.  They built over 1000 bridges of this type before 1900.  The style was very popular during the 1800’s, and many of them are still in service today. Boardman is one of two lenticular bridges spanning the Housatonic in New Milford. Lover’s Leap Bridge is the other, and is now a Connecticut State Park.
             Today the Boardman Bridge sits rusting and near penniless. Horses, buggies, cars and people used to flow over the bridge just as the river flows below. Now fences stop even a pedestrian from taking a step onto the historic bridge. Maybe a squirrel ventures across its span. Vines and tattered electrical wires and lights are highlighted only by the rust and peeling paint. One important step has been accomplished toward the bridges restoration. The engineering inspection of the bridge has determined what improvements are required to re-open the bridge to pedestrian traffic as well as the estimated  cost of the project. Town dollars alone cannot restore the bridge. Federal and State grants are a necessity as are donations from concerned citizens A fund has been set up at New Milford Town Hall 10 Main Street, which is tax deductible, for the express purpose of restoring the Boardman Bridge
               The bridge will never be the viable connection it once was in a transportation sense, but it can be the gateway to a scenic park system and part of a walking/biking trail connecting Canada to the Long Island Sound. It will be one of the scenic stops in the town that is the “Gateway to Litchfield County”.