Narrows Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Narrows Covered Bridge |
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The Narrows of Sugar Creek (Turkey Run State Park)
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| Coordinates | 39°53′27.68″N 87°11′8.46″W / 39.8910222°N 87.1856833°W |
| Carries | Narrows Road |
| Crosses | Sugar Creek, Parke County, Indiana |
| Locale | Turkey Run State Park, Parke, Indiana, United States |
| Official name | The Narrows Covered Bridge |
| Named for | nearby "Narrows" on Sugar Creek. |
| Maintained by | State of Indiana Department of Natural Resources |
| WGCB Number |
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| Characteristics | |
| Design | National Register of Historic Places |
| Total length | 137 ft (42 m)121ft +8ft overhangs on each end |
| Width | 16.5 ft (5.0 m) |
| Height | 12.5 ft (3.8 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | J. A. Britton |
| Construction cost | Original Cost $3,400 |
| Rebuilt | 1977 |
| MPS | Parke County Covered Bridges TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000404 |
| Added to NRHP | Dec 22, 1978 |
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The Narrows Covered Bridge is a special old bridge that crosses Sugar Creek in Turkey Run State Park, Parke, Indiana. It's a type of bridge called a Burr Arch Truss, which means it has a strong arch design inside. A famous builder named Joseph A. Britton built this bridge way back in 1882. It's so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, which is a list of places worth saving because of their history.
History of the Narrows Bridge
The Narrows Covered Bridge wasn't the first bridge in this spot. Before it, there were two other bridges built by a person named Salmon Lusk. The first one was built in 1840, but it was destroyed in 1847. Then, he built another bridge in 1847, which lasted until 1875 when it was also destroyed.
Choosing a New Bridge
After the second bridge was destroyed in 1875, the local government, called the Parke County Commissioners, took a few years to decide on a replacement. At that time, bridges made of iron were becoming very popular.
Finally, on August 24, 1882, they started looking at bids from different builders. Here are some of the offers they received:
- Smith Iron Works offered an iron bridge for $6,680.
- Wrought Iron Bridge Co. offered an iron bridge for $5,706.
- King Iron Bridge Co. offered an iron bridge for $2,904.
- Columbia Bridge Works offered an iron bridge for $3,288.
- G. F. Haynes offered a wooden bridge for $2,704.
- J. A. Britton offered a wooden bridge for $3,750.
The offers from the iron bridge companies might not have included all the extra costs, like building the supports for the bridge. In the end, the Commissioners didn't accept any of these first bids.
Building the Narrows Bridge
Later, the contract to build the bridge was given to J. A. Britton for $3,400. Many people say this was the very first covered bridge that Joseph A. Britton built in his amazing career. Some experts have pointed out that the pointed arch joints in this bridge are unique. It's worth noting that J. A. Britton also built a Billie Creek Bridge in 1880, but that one was probably an open bridge, not covered.
While Joseph A. Britton was busy working on the Narrows Bridge, a sad event happened: his first wife passed away. Later, while still working on the bridge, he met his second wife, who lived on a farm not far from the bridge's location.
Gallery
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This is the south entrance of the bridge, showing information about it.
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You can clearly see the strong arch design inside the bridge here.
