A Brief Insight into Covered Bridges in America




Covered bridges have been around since ancient China.



Recorded Chinese history has mentioned them since the



early dynasties. In America, covered bridges first



appeared around 1805 and have seen a gradual growth in



construction. In Europe, they have existed since the



medieval times and there were once hundreds of them



scattered in many countries such as Germany and



Switzerland.





In North America, wooden covered bridges have seen



it’s height in the 19th century. With a lot of surplus



in lumber and the need for connecting the different



parts of the country, the ingenuity of the Yankees has



been put to good use by the construction of these



works of art. Covered bridges not only allowed the



interconnecting of different towns but it also paved



the way to incorporating art and engineering. Bridges



are not that easy to make, and covered bridges, as



agreed upon by many engineers, are considered to be



great engineering marvels incorporating practicality



and aesthetics in the design.





North America has a lot of covered bridges and more



are built everyday. But why are there so many? The



north is a land filled with rivers and streams and as



the population grew in the early part of the



nineteenth century, a lot of people made their way



into the interior parts of the land to find areas



suitable for agriculture and livelihood.





As the years went by, villages started to grow in the



most convenient of places — near a water source. The



waterways where these early American villages sprung



up on were convenient sources of water and sources of



power used for running mills. And as villages started



to grow on both sides of the rivers, bridges became



the obvious solution in connecting a village together.



Communities need to be connected and bridges became an



integral part of village life. It provided access for



townspeople to many infrastructures like schools,



churches and stores where supplies can be bought.





Why the Need to Cover Them?





There are many theories on why these old, vintage



bridges were covered. The most obvious is for



protection. According to town records, covered bridges



lasted three times longer than ordinary bridges



because it is more protected against the elements.



Also people have known that covered bridges need



lesser maintenance compared to bridges that don’t have



any protection. But for many, the reason for covering



bridges is a more aesthetic one. Covered bridges have



gained popularity because of its ability to please the



eye. Many towns are even remembered because of the



beautiful covered bridges that can still be seen and



enjoyed by tourists. Though nobody knows for sure,



these two reasons are the most apparent.





The State of Iowa is where the most famous covered



bridges in America can be found - specifically in



Madison County, where according to records, nineteen



bridges used to exist. Now only six survived and are



now considered to be landmarks with government budget



for maintenance.





Covered bridges are part of America’s history and now



restoration projects are being proposed all over the



country to preserve these engineering wonders that has



defined the towns where they can be found. If you go



on a road trip to the inner states, be sure to take a



picture of some of these bridges - they are truly as



important as many historical landmarks are.



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