Belknap Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Belknap Bridge
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This is the fourth Belknap Bridge built at this site
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 Location in Oregon
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| Location | McKenzie River in western Oregon, U.S. |
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| Nearest city | Rainbow, Oregon, U.S. |
| Built | 1966 |
| Architect | Oregon Bridge Corporation |
| Architectural style | Howe Truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002097 |
| Added to NRHP | 1979 |
The Belknap Bridge is a famous covered bridge that crosses the McKenzie River in Oregon, USA. It's also called the McKenzie River Bridge. This bridge is near a small place called Rainbow in Lane County, Oregon.
The town of McKenzie Bridge is named after this bridge. The Belknap Bridge you see today is actually the fourth one built in the same spot! It's kept in great shape and cars can still drive across it. Because it's so special, the Belknap Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
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The Belknap Bridge: A Look Back
Lane County in Oregon has a lot of covered bridges. In fact, it has more covered bridges still standing than any other county west of the Mississippi River. There are 17 of these bridges, and 14 of them are still used by cars today!
The Belknap Bridge site has had a covered bridge since 1890. That's a long time!
The First Belknap Bridge
The very first Belknap Bridge was built in 1890. A person named Mr. T. Thomson built it. The bridge got its name from the Belknap family, who were pioneers in the McKenzie River area.
Rollin S. Belknap found and developed Belknap Springs, which is about nine miles upstream from the bridge. His son, J. H. Belknap, helped create a toll road over McKenzie Pass in the early 1870s.
A Bridge Through Time
Over the years, the first bridge got old and weak from all the traffic. So, Lane County replaced it in 1911. The second bridge was then replaced in 1939.
However, a big flood in 1964 destroyed that third bridge. The current Belknap Bridge opened in 1966. In 1975, windows were added to the south side to let in more light.
The bridge was made stronger and fixed up in 1992. In 2002, it got a new roof as part of a big repair project.
Why the Bridge is Historic
The Belknap Bridge is very important to Oregon's history. It's also known for its beautiful design. Because of this, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Today, the Engineering Division of Lane County takes care of all the covered bridges that are still open, including the Belknap Bridge.
How the Belknap Bridge is Built
The Belknap Bridge we see today was designed by the Oregon Bridge Corporation. It's a classic covered bridge design. The bridge is about 120 feet (37 m) long. It has one main section supported by a special system called a Howe truss.
This design helps the bridge hold a lot of weight. It can carry up to 39 short tons (35 t), which is enough for big logging trucks! The bridge sits on two strong concrete foundations.
Its wooden floor and shingled roof are in good shape. The wooden siding, called weatherboard, protects the inside parts of the bridge from rain and snow.
Understanding the Howe Truss
Most covered bridges in Oregon, like the Belknap Bridge, use the Howe truss system. This system was invented in 1840 by an architect named William Howe from Massachusetts.
The Howe truss uses strong wooden beams. These beams are made even stronger with iron or steel rods. The trusses have central beams and crossed timbers. They also have adjustable metal rods that go up and down. These rods help support the bridge's weight.
