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When people think of covered bridges, they usually

envision a wooden bridge with picturesque, romantic

details spanning smooth, calm waters. True in most

parks and private estates, but the building of covered

bridges were originally done for practical reasons -

protection and development.

In the early days of young America, barges and ferries

were the only means of transportation in what was then

a land filled with creeks, streams, and rivers. As

villages and towns grew, there was an apparent need to

provide safer and more economical means to transport

huge numbers of people and merchandize across

waterways. This mandated the construction of bridges

for the growth and development of towns which grew on

both sides of a river.

The early ones were crudely built and its span was

usually that of the timber used to build it. As the

need grew, so did the bridges, and the more people

getting into the business of bridge-building, the more

innovative it became. People started using trusses and

arches to lengthen bridges and soon they started to

use connected stringers.

Since bridges were not cheap to build and the

materials and manpower used in the process started to

cost more as the years went by, there was a pressing

need to make sure the bridges last longer. Wood was

the main construction material used back then and it

easily rots if exposed to extreme weather conditions

during winters and summers. To protect the bridges’

trusses and joints, it was a good idea to put roofs

and walls - and little did the first innovators know

that it would soon become the trend all over the

country. The first covered bridge was just partially

covered.

It was in New York during the early part of the

century. But after 1830, the construction of wooden

covered bridges spread quickly all over America and

there were probably thousands built throughout the

19th century. Now the industry has a very rich past

with people making their names in history because of

the bridges they built.

Benton Jones is the most famous builder of covered

bridges throughout the nineteenth century. His works

include the famous bridges in Madison County which

were featured in an academy award winning movie. Many

of his work survived the ravages of time and

commercialization and are now preserved as historic

bridges. His best work which still stands is the

Roseman Covered Bridge which has lots of romanticized

stories that has made it one of the most famous

bridges in American history.

Another amazing story about the people who built

covered bridges was that of Horace King, a slave who

grew up in South Carolina and was one of the most

respected names in bridge building. King learned the

art of building bridges from his master, John Godwin.

For sixteen years the two of them built bridges

together in states like Alabama, Georgia, and their

hometown South Carolina.

But during the difficult years of the 1940s, King was

granted his freedom by Godwin as a sign of friendship

and partnership. The two continued to build good

bridges all over the country until the year Godwin

died. After that, three of King’s sons joined him in

the bridge-building business. The Kings went on to

become one of the most respected families in the

business of bridge construction, building strong,

sturdy bridges that still stand today. In Georgia,

most of the remaining bridges were built by the Kings

and are considered historic pieces protected by the

National Registry of Historic Places.

Covered bridges have a rich history in America, and

fortunately these days, they are treated like national

treasures protected by law and are preserved to be

enjoyed by generations to come.

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