Blow-me-down Brook
Encyclopedia
Blow-me-down Brook is a 12.8 mile long (20.7 km) stream
located in western New Hampshire
in the United States
. It is a tributary
of the Connecticut River
, which flows to Long Island Sound
.
Blow-me-down Brook begins in the village of Cornish Flat
, located in the northeastern part of the town of Cornish, New Hampshire
. It flows northwest into the town of Plainfield
, then takes a zig-zag course generally west to the Connecticut River, reentering Cornish shortly before its end. In Plainfield, it passes the villages of Hell Hollow and Mill Village and also comes close to Plainfield's town center. In its lower course in Cornish, the brook passes the village of Squag City and Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
. The Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge
crosses the brook at Squag City. The section of brook which passes alongside or through the St. Gaudens property was humorously called "Blow-me-up Brook" by St. Gaudens himself.
The watershed of Blow-me-down Brook extends to Croydon Mountain (sometimes known as Grantham Mountain and as Spruce Ball by most Cornish residents) in the northwestern corner of the town of Croydon
, just east of the town's boundary with Cornish. The brook was dredged from a small dam at the northeastern edge of Cornish Flat to the bridge that crosses State Route 120
. This was done sometime before 1945 in order to avoid flooding. However, at least once, when a cloudburst occurred on Spruce Ball, the brook did overflow its banks and flooded part of State Route 120 but without severe damage to property.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
located in western New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, which flows to Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
Blow-me-down Brook begins in the village of Cornish Flat
Cornish Flat, New Hampshire
Cornish Flat is an unincorporated village in the town of Cornish in Sullivan County, New Hampshire.The village is located in a wide section of the valley of Blow-me-down Brook in the northeastern corner of the town of Cornish...
, located in the northeastern part of the town of Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish, New Hampshire
Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,640 at the 2010 census. Cornish has three covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.-History:...
. It flows northwest into the town of Plainfield
Plainfield, New Hampshire
Plainfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,364. The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest....
, then takes a zig-zag course generally west to the Connecticut River, reentering Cornish shortly before its end. In Plainfield, it passes the villages of Hell Hollow and Mill Village and also comes close to Plainfield's town center. In its lower course in Cornish, the brook passes the village of Squag City and Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, preserves the home, gardens, and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens , one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885 to 1897, his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907, and the center of the...
. The Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge
Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge
Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge on the Blow-me-down Brook in the town of Cornish, near Plainfield, New Hampshire.It was built in 1877 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.-External links:...
crosses the brook at Squag City. The section of brook which passes alongside or through the St. Gaudens property was humorously called "Blow-me-up Brook" by St. Gaudens himself.
The watershed of Blow-me-down Brook extends to Croydon Mountain (sometimes known as Grantham Mountain and as Spruce Ball by most Cornish residents) in the northwestern corner of the town of Croydon
Croydon, New Hampshire
Croydon is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 764 at the 2010 census.- History :Incorporated in 1763, the town takes its name from Croydon, a suburb of London, England.- Geography :...
, just east of the town's boundary with Cornish. The brook was dredged from a small dam at the northeastern edge of Cornish Flat to the bridge that crosses State Route 120
New Hampshire Route 120
New Hampshire Route 120 is a long secondary north–south state highway in Sullivan and Grafton counties in the upper Connecticut River Valley region of New Hampshire. NH 120 runs between the towns of Claremont and Hanover....
. This was done sometime before 1945 in order to avoid flooding. However, at least once, when a cloudburst occurred on Spruce Ball, the brook did overflow its banks and flooded part of State Route 120 but without severe damage to property.