Why did they cover bridges in Iowa?

The bridges were covered by order of the County Board of Supervisors to help preserve the large flooring timbers, which were more expensive to replace than the lumber used to cover the sides and roof. Usually, the bridges were named for the resident who lived closest.



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By the 1870s, most bridges were covered at the time of construction. The original reason for the cover was to protect the bridge's trusses and decks from snow and rain, preventing decay and rot.

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In the mid-1800s, the development of cheaper wrought iron and cast iron led to metal rather than timber trusses. Metal structures did not need protection from the elements, so they no longer needed to be covered.

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Made from available timber, such as spruce and white pine, the bridges were flexible and strong but decayed quickly when exposed to rain and snow. By the early 1800s, bridge builders began to protect their bridges with roofs and siding – making covered bridges.

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Although many states have modern, decorative covered bridges, there is at least one historical covered bridge still standing in 30 states. Pennsylvania has the most with 227, Ohio has 143, Vermont has 100 and Indiana has 93. READ MORE: Covered bridge trivia.

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Today there are around 200 covered bridges, that remain in the state of Pennsylvania, and that includes 28 just in Lancaster County! While covered bridges are sometimes called “kissing bridges” the reason for the roofs is to protect the bridge's truss structure from all the weather conditions.

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By 1962, it was not sturdy enough to carry the increased load of traffic; the bridge was sold by the City of London in April 1968 to make way for its replacement. The purchaser, Robert P. McCulloch, was an entrepreneur and real estate developer who founded Lake Havasu City.

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Notes. - Significance: The Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest covered bridge in the U.S. and the second-longest two-span covered bridge in the world. It is an excellent example of the work of James Tasker and Bela Fletcher, two prolific New England bridge builders.

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The covered bridges of Parke County are well-known tourist attractions in Parke County, Indiana, United States, which touts itself as the Covered Bridge Capital of the World. The county claims to have more covered bridges than any other county in the United States.

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