List of covered bridges in West Virginia

Last updated August 16, 2024

This is a list of West Virginia covered bridges. There are 17 historic wooden covered bridges in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Only three of these bridges were built before 1870 and they are the three longest in the state. Each uses a standard truss design, braced with the Burr Arch. No one-truss design dominates in the state. The bridges are located in three general areas. In the south in Monroe and Greenbrier counties there are about a half dozen bridges within an easy drive of one another. To the north around Philippi is another group of bridges, including the historic Philippi Covered Bridge which is the longest (285 feet (87 m)) and an important part of state history for its associations with the American Civil War.^[1]

Existing bridges

The following is a list of the 17 extant West Virginia covered bridges.

Name^[1]	Location ^[1]^[A]	Year Built^[1]	Length	Crosses	Design	Historical Notes
Barrackville Covered Bridge	Barrackville, Marion County	1853	146 feet (45 m)	Buffalo Creek	Multiple king post, Burr arch	Built by Lemuel Chenoweth
Carrollton Covered Bridge	Carrollton, Barbour County	1856	141 feet (43 m)	Buckhannon River	Multiple king post, Burr arch
Center Point Covered Bridge	Center Point, Doddridge County	1888	42 feet (13 m)	Pike Fork of McElroy Creek	Long truss
Dents Run Covered Bridge	Laurel Point, Monongalia County	1889	40 feet (12 m)	Dents Run	King post
Fish Creek Covered Bridge aka "Hundred Covered Bridge"	Hundred, Wetzel County	1881, 2001^[2]	30 feet (9.1 m)	Fish Creek	King post
Fletcher Covered Bridge aka "Ten Mile Creek Covered Bridge"	Cutler, Harrison County	1891	58 feet (18 m)	Tenmile Creek	Multiple king post
Herns Mill Covered Bridge aka "Milligan Creek Covered Bridge"	Asbury, Greenbrier County	1884	54 feet (16 m)	Milligans Creek	Queen post
Hokes Mill Covered Bridge aka "Second Creek Covered Bridge"	Hokes Mill, Greenbrier County	1899	82 feet (25 m)	Second Creek	Long truss
Indian Creek Covered Bridge	Union, Monroe County	1903	48 feet (15 m)	Indian Creek	Long truss
Laurel Creek Covered Bridge aka "Lily Dale Covered Bridge"	Lillydale, Monroe County	1911	22 feet (6.7 m)	Laurel Creek	Howe truss
Locust Creek Covered Bridge	Hillsboro, Pocahontas County	1870	113 feet (34 m)	Monroe Creek	Warren truss
Mud River Covered Bridge	Milton, Cabell County	1875	108 feet (33 m)	Mud River	Howe truss
Philippi Covered Bridge	Philippi, Barbour County	1852	285 feet (87 m)	Tygart Valley River	Long truss with Burr arch	Built by Chenoweth
Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge aka "Sandy Creek Covered Bridge" and "New Era Covered Bridge"	Sandyville, Jackson County	1889, 2000^[2]	101 feet (31 m)	Left Fork Sandy Creek	Long truss
Simpson Creek Covered Bridge aka "Hollens Mill Covered Bridge"	Bridgeport, Harrison County	1881	74 feet (23 m)	Simpson Creek	Multiple king post
Staats Mill Covered Bridge	Ripley, Jackson County	1887	97 feet (30 m)	Pond^[2]	Long truss	Originally over Tug Fork, Big Mill Creek
Walkersville Covered Bridge	Walkersville, Lewis County	1908	54 feet (16 m)	Right Fork of West Fork River	Queen post

Former bridges

The following is a list of no longer extant West Virginia covered bridges. A complete list of covered bridges that have existed at one time or another in the state would exceed 100.^[3]

Barbour County

Audra Covered Bridge, 18??, Audra (Burnt, 1940s)
Moatsville Covered Bridge, 18??, across the Tygart Valley River at Moatsville (Destroyed, 19??s)

Braxton County

Bulltown Covered Bridge, 1854^[4]

Doddridge County

West Union Covered Bridge, 1843 across Middle Island Creek (Destroyed in flood, June 1950).

Greenbrier County

Greenbrier Covered Bridge, 18??, across Greenbrier River; near Lewisburg

Harrison County

Maulsby Covered Bridge, 1848, across West Fork River (part of Weston and Fairmont Turnpike Company)^[5]

Lewis County

Weston Covered Bridge, 18??, across Stonecoal Creek, (Chenoweth; destroyed).

Marion County

Paw Paw Creek Covered Bridge, 18??, Grant Town (Destroyed in flood, August 1980)

Monongalia County

Wadestown Covered Bridge, 18??, across the West Virginia branch of Dunkard Creek.

Preston County

Cheat River Covered Bridge (aka Northwestern Turnpike, or Tygart Valley, Bridge), 1835, across Cheat River near Rowlesburg (Burnt, 1964)

Randolph County

Beverly Covered Bridge, 1845, Chenoweth's first bridge (destroyed ca. 1863); part of the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike; rebuilt by Chenoweth (1872–73; destroyed again after 1952).
Cheat Bridge Covered Bridge, 1841, across Cheat River at Cheat Bridge (Removed, 1910)^[6]

Randolph/Upshur Counties

Middle Fork Covered Bridge, 18??, across Middle Fork River spanning county border (Chenoweth; destroyed).

Taylor County

Valley Bridge, 1834, across Tygart Valley River (part of the Northwestern Turnpike) at Fetterman (Destroyed in flood, 1888).^[7]

Upshur County

Buckhannon Covered Bridge, 18?? (Chenoweth; destroyed).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbour County, West Virginia</span> County in West Virginia, United States

Barbour County is a county in north central West Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,465. The county seat is Philippi, which was chartered in 1844. Both county and city were named for Philip P. Barbour (1783–1841), a U.S. Congressman from Virginia and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The county was formed in 1843 when the region was still part of the state of Virginia. In 1871, a small part of Barbour County was transferred to Tucker County, West Virginia.

Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,932. Its county seat is Elkins. The county was founded in 1787 and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippi, West Virginia</span> City in West Virginia

Philippi ('FILL-uh-pea') is a city in and the county seat of Barbour County, West Virginia, United States, along the Tygart Valley River. The population was 2,929 at the 2020 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as the "Philippi Races". Although a minor skirmish, this is considered the earliest notable land action of the American Civil War. The city has a weekly newspaper, The Barbour Democrat.

Beverly is a town in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 1787, it is the oldest settlement in the Tygart River Valley. It had a population of 628 at the 2020 census. Beverly was the county seat of Randolph County for over a century—from 1790 until 1899—after which the nearby settlement of Elkins assumed that role following an intense local political "war".

The Monongahela River, sometimes referred to locally as the Mon, is a 130-mile-long (210 km) river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania. The river flows from the confluence of its west and east forks in north-central West Virginia northeasterly into southwestern Pennsylvania, then northerly to Pittsburgh and its confluence with the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River. The river includes a series of locks and dams that makes it navigable.

The Battle of Philippi formed part of the Western Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War and was fought in and around Philippi, Virginia, on June 3, 1861. A Union Army victory, it was the first organized land action of the war, though generally viewed as a skirmish rather than a battle.

The Little Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 169 mi (269 km) long, in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Ohio, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 2,320 mi² (6,009 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. It served as an important commercial water route in the early history of West Virginia, particularly in the logging and petroleum industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tygart Valley River</span> River in West Virginia, United States

The Tygart Valley River — also known as the Tygart River — is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, approximately 135 miles (217 km) long, in east-central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 1,329 square miles (3,440 km²) in the Allegheny Mountains and the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.

The Buckhannon River is a 45.4-mile-long (73.1 km) tributary of the Tygart Valley River in north-central West Virginia, USA. Via the Tygart Valley, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 309 square miles (800 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. It provides drinking water for much of Upshur County.

Cheat Mountain is an exceptionally high and rugged ridge situated in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is about 50 miles (80 km) long and more than five miles (8 km) wide at its widest. Its highest point is at its southernmost end at Thorny Flat, which has an elevation of 4,848 feet (1,478 m). Several other knobs rise above 4,000 feet (1,200 m) along its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippi Covered Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Philippi Covered Bridge, on the Tygart Valley River, is the main local landmark and historical icon of Philippi, West Virginia, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemuel Chenoweth</span> American architect

Lemuel Chenoweth was a carpenter, legislator and self-taught architect. He is best known as one of 19th century America's master covered bridge builders.

The Staunton–Parkersburg Turnpike was built in what is now the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia during the second quarter of the 19th century to provide a roadway from Staunton, Virginia and the upper Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio River at present-day Parkersburg, West Virginia. Engineered by Claudius Crozet through the mountainous terrain, it was a toll road partially funded by the Virginia Board of Public Works. Control of this road became crucial during the American Civil War. Today, the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike can be largely traversed by following West Virginia Route 47 east from Parkersburg to Linn, then U.S. Route 33 east through Weston and Buckhannon to Elkins, then U.S. Route 250 southeast through Beverly, Huttonsville, crossing the West Virginia/Virginia state line to Staunton, Virginia.

The Middle Fork River is a 35.4-mile-long (57.0 km) tributary of the Tygart Valley River in north-central West Virginia, USA. Via the Tygart Valley, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 152 square miles (390 km²) on the easternmost part of the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Middle Fork River has also been known simply as "Middle Fork" and as "Middlefork."

Hackers Creek is a tributary of the West Fork River, 25.4 miles (40.9 km) long, in north-central West Virginia in the United States. Via the West Fork, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 58 square miles (150 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. The stream is believed to have been named for a settler named John Hacker (1743-1824), who lived near the creek for over twenty years from around 1770. He was a magistrate and patriarch in the settlement despite not being able to write.

Bulltown is an extinct town in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place.

Cheat Bridge is an unincorporated community in southeastern Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. It is located near U.S. Route 250's crossing of Shavers Fork.

Fetterman is an unincorporated community or populated place located in Taylor County, West Virginia, United States. It is coterminous with Ward 1 of the city of Grafton.

References

Citations

1 2 3 4 West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme Publishing; 3rd edition (2003), pg 13
1 2 3 Caswell, William S. World Guide to Covered Bridges (2021 ed.). Concord, New Hampshire: National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. pp. 157–161. ISBN 978-0-578-30263-8.
↑ Shaluta, Jr., Stephen J. (2004), Covered Bridges in West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia: Quarrier Press.
↑ Cook, Roy Bird: "The Battle of Bulltown" "The West Virginia Review: June 1933:254-56 found in WV Archives and History at wvculture.org, Replaced with steel bridge (my personal witness we drove over it from Burnsville to Bulltown) which was destroyed by Army Engineers when the Burnsville Dam was built between summer of 1972-September 1976. See Wikipedia: Burnsville Lake with source given as Department of Army.
↑ The longest covered bridge ever existing in Harrison County (300 feet).
↑ After the Battle of Greenbrier River (3 October 1861), Union troops used the bridge when they built extensive military defenses at nearby Cheat Summit. Over 40 years later, celebrated satirist and short story writer Ambrose Bierce revisited the site of his youthful service. He found that “…the old wooden covered bridge across the Cheat River looks hardly a day older, and is still elaborately decorated with soldiers’ names carven with jack-knives.” (Letter, Ambrose Bierce to Alexander Whitehall, 30 September 1904. Published in Ninth Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry Association: Proceedings of the 18th Annual Reunion (N.p., 1904), pp 13-18. Reprinted as “Battlefields and Ghosts” (Palo Alto, California: Harvest Press, 1931) and in Joshi, S.T. and David E. Schultz, eds. (1998), Ambrose Bierce, A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography; Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, pp 3-6.)
↑ Snider, Joseph Franklin (1945), "The Early History of Grafton", Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7362. (Master's thesis for West Virginia University), pp 2-3.

Notes

^A Sorting this column will result in bridges being listed in order by county.

External links

Covered Spans of Yesteryear project
West Virginia Tourism article about the state's covered bridges

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Atlas-1] 1 2 3 4 West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme Publishing; 3rd edition (2003), pg 13

[NSPCB-2] 1 2 3 Caswell, William S. World Guide to Covered Bridges (2021 ed.). Concord, New Hampshire: National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. pp. 157–161. ISBN 978-0-578-30263-8.

[3] Shaluta, Jr., Stephen J. (2004), Covered Bridges in West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia: Quarrier Press.

[4] Cook, Roy Bird: "The Battle of Bulltown" "The West Virginia Review: June 1933:254-56 found in WV Archives and History at wvculture.org, Replaced with steel bridge (my personal witness we drove over it from Burnsville to Bulltown) which was destroyed by Army Engineers when the Burnsville Dam was built between summer of 1972-September 1976. See Wikipedia: Burnsville Lake with source given as Department of Army.

[5] The longest covered bridge ever existing in Harrison County (300 feet).

[6] After the Battle of Greenbrier River (3 October 1861), Union troops used the bridge when they built extensive military defenses at nearby Cheat Summit. Over 40 years later, celebrated satirist and short story writer Ambrose Bierce revisited the site of his youthful service. He found that “…the old wooden covered bridge across the Cheat River looks hardly a day older, and is still elaborately decorated with soldiers’ names carven with jack-knives.” (Letter, Ambrose Bierce to Alexander Whitehall, 30 September 1904. Published in Ninth Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry Association: Proceedings of the 18th Annual Reunion (N.p., 1904), pp 13-18. Reprinted as “Battlefields and Ghosts” (Palo Alto, California: Harvest Press, 1931) and in Joshi, S.T. and David E. Schultz, eds. (1998), Ambrose Bierce, A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography; Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, pp 3-6.)

[7] Snider, Joseph Franklin (1945), "The Early History of Grafton", Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7362. (Master's thesis for West Virginia University), pp 2-3.

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