Oakachoy Covered Bridge

Oakachoy CB
Carries	pedestrian traffic
Crosses	Oakachoy Creek
Locale	Nixburg, Alabama
Maintained by	Coosa County Commission
ID number	01-19-01 (WGCB)
Design	Queen-post truss
Total length	56 ft (17 m)
Construction end	1916
Daily traffic	pedestrian traffic
Closed	June 2, 2001 by fire
Coordinates	32°50′56.58″N 86°02′48.31″W / 32.84905°N 86.0467528°W / 32.84905; -86.0467528Coordinates: 32°50′56.58″N 86°02′48.31″W / 32.84905°N 86.0467528°W / 32.84905; -86.0467528

Oakachoy Covered Bridge
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city:	Nixburg, Alabama
Area:	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built:	1915
Architect:	Harris,Melton
Architectural style:	Queen Post truss
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	90000928[1]
Removed from NRHP:	September 23, 2009

The Oakachoy Covered Bridge (sometimes spelled 'Okachoy'), also known as the Thomas Covered Bridge, was a county owned wooden covered bridge which spanned Oakachoy Creek in Coosa County, Alabama, United States. It was located in a remote area on the dirt portion of Newman Road off State Route 259 northeast of the community of Nixburg, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of Alexander City. Coordinates are 32°50′56.58″N 86°02′48.31″W / 32.84905°N 86.0467528°W / 32.84905; -86.0467528 (32.84905, -86.046753).

Built in 1916, the 56-foot (17-meter) bridge was a modified Queen-post truss construction over a single span. Its WGCB number is 01-19-01. The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on October 28, 1977.^[2]

It was then listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 23, 2001, but removed a few days later after finding out the bridge had been destroyed. It was one of the shortest covered bridges built in Alabama. The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was burned down by vandals on June 2, 2001, ending the existence of the only remaining historic covered bridge in Coosa County. It was maintained by the Coosa County Commission.

History

The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was built by Melton Harris of homemade timber at a cost of $400.00 for connecting two county seats, Rockford in Coosa County and Dadeville in Tallapoosa County. It is unknown when the bridge was closed to motor traffic in later years or when it was restored. Nearby are ruts which were forded in Oakachoy Creek by pioneer wagons over 150 years ago. All that remains of the Oakachoy Covered Bridge site are the stone foundations and a wooden post on the east side of the creek which shows obvious charring. Even though the bridge is gone, it is said the site is still haunted by a slave who was lynched and eventually hung inside the bridge many years ago. A major downplay to this legend though is that slavery was abolished throughout the United States with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 and the Oakachoy Covered Bridge was known to be the only covered bridge bridge built at the site which wasn't until 1916...well after the end of the American Civil War. There were other bridges constructed in the vicinity before the Oakachoy Covered Bridge which were short lived.

Photos of the Oakachoy Covered Bridge can be found on a covered bridge website created by Dale J. Travis (linked below).

See also

• List of Alabama covered bridges

Notes

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ "Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. www.preserveala.org. 4 June 2009. http://www.preserveala.org/pdfs/arprop%20(updated%2006-04-09).pdf. Retrieved 21 July 2009. ^{[dead link]}

References

• Dale J. Travis Covered Bridges. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• Bridges to the Past: Alabama's Covered Bridges. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• Alabamiana: A Guide to Alabama. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• The Alexander City Outlook (June 6, 2001), page 1A. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• Alabama Historical Commission (1969). Alabama's Covered Bridges. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• Alabama Department of Archives and History. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• National Register of Historic Places Listings (October 5, 2001). Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 1, 2007.
• StrangeUSA.com. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 2, 2007.
• TheFederalRegister.com. Oakachoy CB: Credits. Retrieved Nov. 2, 2007.

External links

• Bridges to the Past: Alabama's Covered Bridges
• Oakachoy Covered Bridge (Dale J. Travis)