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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