Hartland, the smallest town in New Brunswick, with a population of about 902, has a varied and interesting history. It is situated on the Saint John River in the central-western portion of the province in the agricultural heartland of Carleton County and known as “Mouth of the ’Guimac” until it was officially changed to “Hartland” about 1870.
The Town is best known for its 1,282 foot Hartland Covered Bridge, the longest covered bridge in the world. It was originally constructed by the Hartland Bridge Company, which was formed by citizens on both sides of the St. John River, and officially opened July 4, 1901.
The bridge was purchased by the government of New Brunswick in 1906. Two spans of the bridge were taken out by river ice April 6, 1920, and the government made major repairs and covered the structure in 1922.
The side walkway was added to the bridge in 1945 and on June 23, 1980, the Hartland Covered Bridge was declared a National Historic Site and on September 15, 1999 it was declared a Provincial Historic Site.
Hartland is also the headquarters of the North American trucking company Day & Ross, as well as home to the New Brunswick Bible Institute.
The 1,282 foot Hartland Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge in the world.
The gallery honors “Woodie” Craig, founder of Craig Manufacturing and great benefactor of Hartland.