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Volume 050-1 - January 1996 (8 pages)
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Page: of 8
Nevada County Historical Society —
Bulletin
Volume 50, No. 1 January 1996
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge
by Clinton H. Lee, Mark Michalski, and David A. Comstock
Tere IS SOMETHING EXCITING about a covered
bridge, and the “‘bridger” or covered-bridge buff has a right to
become excited about these structures as they fade away, one
by one. The Bridgeport bridge across the South Yuba River in
western Nevada County is one that is unique in many ways.
For instance, the Bridgeport bridge is the longest single-span
covered bridge in the United States. The second longest
bridge spans Schoharie Creek at North Blenheim, New York,
and it measures 228 feet, one foot less than the trussing of the
Bridgeport covered bridge.
At one time the Bridgeport bridge measured 251 feet at its
ridge pole, which included wing walls to protect the footings
at both ends, but these wings no longer exist. The bridge at
New York, built as a two-lane structure in 1855, was replaced
en 1932 by a modern steel bridge, and the Schoharie County
Soard of Supervisors voted to retain the old bridge as a
public historical landmark. The Blenheim bridge and a recreation and picnic area surrounding it has become a popular
tourist attraction, and the success of this New York endeavor
prompted Nevada County residents to do the same with their
historic crossing.
The Nevada County Historical Society took the lead in
1968 and called for early restoration and preservation of the
bridge. In 1969 a committee was formed to raise the necessary funds, estimated then at $100,000. The campaign was a
success, and in addition to the restoration, a picnic area was
developed on the site of the former toll station. The span was
realigned at that time and the shingles and floor boards were
replaced, but most of the support structure in the arch and
truss dates from the original construction in 1862.
According to the experts, this unique covered bridge relies
on a type of construction known as ‘“‘a Warren Truss with an
elaborate auxiliary Burr Arch.” It makes use of wrought iron
vertical members and cast iron bearing blocks; all other
material is wood. (The Central Pacific Railroad Company
constructed bridges a few years later with similar cast iron
1