A brief insight into covered bridges in america

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.