About Covered Bridges
Covered bridges have been around for centuries. Ancient civilizations built them, as did the Chinese, Europeans and early Americans. Though theories abound as to why a cover a bridge, humans eventually figured out building a roof over structures spanning waterways was the smart thing to do. Travelers can visit covered bridges just about anywhere in the world, but it is Americans who actively show the most affection for the hundreds of covered bridges throughout the United States.
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Babylonians and Chinese
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Covered bridges actually can be traced all the back to the ancient Babylonians in 780 B.C. The Chinese started building covered bridges in the first century. Zhejiang Province in Taishun County southwest of Wenzhou is home to more than 900 covered bridges. The oldest of these remarkable structures, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1640). is the Dongxi Bridge.
Italian History
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Comprised of a group of islands with channels, Venice, Italy, used wooden planked bridges to connect these watery passages. Numerous bridges joined Venice's islands over the centuries, but none connected to the Grand Canal. Construction began in 1588 on the famous Rialto Bridge to link the island of this largest canal to the rest of the city. Over the centuries, the Rialto suffered damage from age and fire; continued restoration allows visitors to this ancient city a walk across this historical treasure.
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America's First Two
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Erecting New York's Waterford Bridge crossing the Hudson River, Theodore Burr completed America's first covered bridge in early 1804.The long span bridge form of Waterford Bridge combined structural advantages with a straightforward timber truss relieved by arches. Sheathed in handmade pine plank siding, the Waterford also featured something different---a shingled roof. The bridge lasted almost 105 years, until fire destroyed it in 1909.
Crossing the Schuylkill River at High Street (now Market Street) in Philadelphia, America built its second covered bridge, the Permanent Bridge, also in 1804. Originally planned as a stone bridge by its first owners, the Bridge Co., Philadelphia Judge Richard Peters suggested a covered one resulting in hiring architect Thomas Palmer to draw up the basic plan. Architect Owen Biddle beautified the wooden exterior with a rich design. The bridge cost $300,000 to build. At 550 feet long, and it was 42-feet wide with three arches. From bank to bank it was the largest covered wooden bridge in the world. Travelers originally had to pay a toll paid to cross the bridge, but when the City of Philadelphia bought the landmark from its owners in 1840, passage became free. A raging fire near the end of 1875 brought down this remarkable landmark.
Why a Covered Bridge
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Why cover a bridge? No one knows for sure, but favorite theories include keeping farm animals crossing a river from panicking from the rushing water, hiding ugly trusses, offering travelers with shelter from storms, or providing a private place for a clandestine kiss with a sweetheart. In fact, the roof over a bridge adds strength to the entire building. Flood waters are less likely to take out a bridge when it has the added weight of a cover, and if a flood does wash the building down stream, it is more likely to be in one piece. With the added stability of a cover, bridges could be built longer, and they would usually last longer.
Covered Bridge Nostalgia
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Americans are nostalgic about its hundreds of covered bridges found all over the land. Many rural areas throughout the nation have historical societies that restore, preserve and protect these national treasures for future generations.
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