Campbell's Covered Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Campbell's Covered Bridge


caption =
official_name =
carries =
crosses = Beaverdam Creek
locale = Gowensville, Greenville County, South Carolina
maint =
id =
designer =
design = Covered bridge
material =
spans =
pierswater =
mainspan =
length = convert|38|ft
width = convert|12|ft
height =
load =
clearance =
below =
traffic =
begin =
complete = 1909
open =
closed =
toll =
map_cue =
map_

map_text =
map_width =
coordinates =
lat =
long =

Campbell's Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in South Carolina, located in northeastern Greenville County near the small town of Gowensville. It is the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina.cite web |url=http://www.sciway.net/photos/upstate-sc/campbell-covered-bridge/ |title=Gowensville, South Carolina – Campbell Covered Bridge |publisher=South Carolina Information Highway ( [http://www.sciway.net SCIway.net] ) |accessdate=2008-10-02] It is located off Pleasant Hill Road, crossing Beaverdam Creek.

It is owned by Greenville County which closed off the bridge to traffic in the early 1980s.cite web |url=http://www.wyff4.com/travelgetaways/4380102/detail.html |title=Covered Bridge To Become Centerpiece Of New Park |publisher=WYFF |date=2005-04-14 |accessdate=2008-10-03]

History

The bridge was built in 1909 by Charles Irwin Willis (1878–1966).cite web |url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFG7 |title=Campbell's Covered Bridge (23-25) |publisher=Waymarking.com |date=2006-06-23 |accessdate=2008-10-02] It was named after grist mill owner Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836–1920) who built and maintained the Campbell corn mill in the town for many years. Parts of the mill still remain preserved.

The Campbell bridge has been restored twice since being built in 1909. It was first restored in 1964 by the Cresent Garden Club,cite web |url=http://www.greenvillehistoricpreservation.org/campbellbridge.html |title=Designated Sites - Campbell Covered Bridge |publisher=Greenville County Historic Preservation Commission |accessdate=2008-10-07] and again in 1990. [cite book |title=Scenic Driving South Carolina |author=John F. Clark |page=40 |publisher=Globe Pequot |year=2003 |coauthors=Patricia A. Pierce |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PqfdxnKAqWQC&pg=PA39&dq=campbell%27s+covered+bridge&client=safari&sig=ACfU3U2CXIyXFfQfHqo-DLJH4lIOS2e_zg#PPA40,M1 |accessdate=2008-10-07]

The bridge itself is currently owned by the Greenville County, and was closed off to traffic in the early 1980s. The land surrounding the bridge was owned by Sylvia Pittman until 2005. Plans emerged for a park to be built around the bridge, and in mid 2005 Pittman sold 10 acres of surrounding land to the Greenville County, which paid for it. She said, "I had in mind to have a park preserve this to let everyone enjoy this like we have." The US$180,000 in beginnings of the park were covered through state and county grants.

tructure

The Campbell's bridge has dimensions of convert|38|ft in length and convert|12|ft in width. It was made in a relatively rare four-span Howe truss design; it features vertical iron rods and diagonal timbers that were made of pine.cite book |title=Motorcycle Journeys Through the American South |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=G1_64dbs6nAC&pg=PA234&dq=%22campbell%27s+covered+bridge%22&sig=ACfU3U1Lzuu1U7IrW2wqaYnog3imZyq0Nw |author=Scott Cochran |page=234 |publisher=Springer Science & Business |year=2007 |accessdate=2008-10-04]

References