Horton Mill Covered Bridge
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| Horton Mill CB | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Nearest city: | Oneonta, AL |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1934 |
| Added to NRHP: | December 29, 1970 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 70000099 [1] |
| Governing body: | State |
| Horton Mill CB | |
|---|---|
| Carries | single lane motor traffic |
| Crosses | Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River |
| Locale | Oneonta, Alabama |
| Maintained by | Alabama Historical Commission |
| ID number | 01-05-07 (WGCB) |
| Design | Town Lattice truss |
| Total length | 220 ft (67 m) |
| Width | 11 ft (4 m) clearance |
| Load limit | 3 US tons (2.72 metric tons) |
| Vertical clearance | 9 ft (3 m) |
| Completion date | 1934 |
| Coordinates | |
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is a state owned wooden covered bridge that spans the Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River in Blount County, Alabama, United States. It is located on a river crossover (Horton Mill Road) to Ebell Road and Covered Bridge Circle off State Route 75 about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of the city of Oneonta. Coordinates are (34.007644, -86.448625).
Built in 1934, the 220-foot (67-meter) bridge is a Town Lattice truss construction over two spans. Its WGCB number is 01-05-07. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1970, the first covered bridge in the southeastern United States to be added. At 70 feet (21 m), it is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. The bridge remains open to single lane motor traffic, maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission, Blount County Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation.
NOTE: The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was reported closed to motor traffic on September 27, 2007 due to unsafe conditions. According to a member on the photo website Flickr as well as a report from the The Blount Countian, vandals attempted to remove some of the roof supports on the west side of the bridge by tying a cable or chain around them and attached the other end to either a tow hitch or hook...using a vehicle to try and pull them out, causing significant damage. A photo showing the damaged end of the Horton Mill Covered Bridge can be seen by clicking the reference link to Flickr below. It is currently unknown as to when the bridge will undergo necessary repairs. As of January 2008, no maintenance of any kind has been done and the bridge remains closed to motor traffic. It has recently been heard that if and when the covered bridge is reopened, it will be for pedestrian use only. This statement though is not yet official.
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[edit] History
The original Horton Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1894 at the foot of Sand Mountain, about 3/4 mile (1 kilometer) downstream from the current bridge. It was named for a local business owned by Thurman M. Horton, who helped construct the first bridge. This bridge allowed residents of Sand Mountain a better means of access to nearby Oneonta as well as to Horton's mill and general store which were located along the east side of the Calvert Prong.
Construction of the current Horton Mill Covered Bridge began in 1934 over a deep gorge cut by the river, led by Talmedge Horton...a family descendent of Thurman Horton. It took a 15-man crew 1 1/2 years to complete the project. This crew included Zelma C. Tidwell and his uncle, Forrest Tidwell, who helped in building three other prominent covered bridges in Blount County (Easley, Nectar, Swann). The bridge was fully restored in 1974 by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Blount County Commission. It is one of three historic covered bridges remaining in Blount County.
[edit] Dimensions
Main Span Length: 80.1 ft (24.4 m)
Total Span Length: 208.0 ft (63.4 m)
Deck Width: 11.2 ft (3.4 m)
Vertical Clearance: 8.5 ft (2.6 m)
Underclearance: 70.0 ft (21.3 m)
Above measurements are approximate and unofficial. Total span length is not always the same as total bridge length. [2]
[edit] Trivia
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is featured on the seal of the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce.
[edit] References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. U.S. National Park Service (2007-08-17).
- ^ Historic Bridges Database. Historic Bridges of the United States. James Baughn (2007-11-08).
- Dale J. Travis Covered Bridges. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- Bridges to the Past: Alabama's Covered Bridges. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- The Decatur Daily. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- Alabamiana: A Guide to Alabama. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- BhamWiki. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
- Southern Living: Tunnels in Time. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Sep. 24, 2007.
- The Blount Countian (October 3, 2007). Retrieved Nov. 28, 2007.
- Flickr. Horton Mill CB: Credits. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Horton Mill Covered Bridge is at coordinates Coordinates:
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