Langley Covered Bridge
| Langley Covered Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Langley Covered Bridge | |
| Carries | Covered Bridge Road |
| Crosses | St. Joseph River |
| Locale | Centreville, Michigan |
| Maintained by | St. Joseph County Road Commission |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Howe truss |
| Total length | 282 ft (86 m)[1] |
| Number of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1887[2] |
| Designated | August 31, 1965 |
Langley Covered Bridge is the longest remaining wooden covered bridge in the state of Michigan, and is located several miles north of Centreville, Michigan, the seat of St. Joseph County. Many of the covered bridges in Michigan and other states no longer exist, and therefore the structure is a historic[3] tourist attraction frequented by visitors to St. Joseph County. The bridge is named for Thomas W. Langley and family, pioneers who helped establish the village of Centreville in the mid-19th century. In fact, Langley was the very first settler in Centreville.[4] The red-paneled bridge, along with a causeway just to its north that forms part of Covered Bridge Road, spans the St. Joseph River. The bridge was constructed in 1887 by nearby Parkville builder Pierce Bodmer.[3] It does this just above what is called the Sturgis Dam (although the city of Sturgis, Michigan is located nowhere near this location). The dam is adjacent to a county recreation area called Covered Bridge Park; just across the river within sight of the bridge is Pahl Point Park, which is in fact closer to the bridge itself. The bridge has been a very important symbol for the village of Centreville for almost 100 years; in fact, the village's annual summer festival is called Covered Bridge Days.
References
- ↑ "Langley Bridge (1887) | Structurae" (in German). En.structurae.de. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ↑ "Langley Covered Bridge opens to traffic". rivercountryjournal. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "MI State Historic Preservation Objects". Mcgi.state.mi.us. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ↑ "10 great places to cross that covered bridge". Usatoday.Com. 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
Coordinates: 41°58′02″N 085°31′41″W / 41.96722°N 85.52806°W