Low's Bridge stands beside land once owned by Robert Low, one of Guilford's early settlers. Guilford and Sangerville built the first bridge in 1830 to ease travel between their commercial areas, but a flood destroyed it in 1832. It was rebuilt and washed away again in 1857. The third Low's Covered Bridge, rebuilt in 1857, stretched 130 feet across the Piscataquis River and was one lane wide by modern standards. Isaac Wharff built the foundation and approach, hauling granite more than 7 miles by oxen team from Guilford Mountain. Carpenter Leonard Knowlton used a patented Long-truss design based on mathematical calculations that formed trusses shaped like the letter X. That bridge lasted 130 years until a major flood on April 1, 1987, destroyed it. Plans to rebuild it began as soon as the floodwaters receded. Structural engineers Ryan-Biggs Associates of New York designed a bridge that replicated the original as closely as possible while strengthening the overall structure to meet current codes and standards. Chesterfield Associates of Westport Island, Maine, assembled the new bridge off-site, and more than 1,000 people watched it roll into place on August 23, 1990. The new bridge rests on the original stone-masonry abutments, which were raised almost 3 feet to lessen the risk of future flood damage.