Oakachoy Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oakachoy CB |
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| Coordinates | 32°50′56.58″N 86°02′48.31″W / 32.8490500°N 86.0467528°W |
| Carries | pedestrian traffic |
| Crosses | Oakachoy Creek |
| Locale | Nixburg, Alabama |
| Maintained by | Coosa County Commission |
| ID number | 01-19-01 (WGCB) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Queen-post truss |
| Total length | 56 ft (17 m) |
| History | |
| Architect | Melton Harris |
| Construction end | 1916 |
| Closed | June 2, 2001 by fire |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | pedestrian traffic |
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Oakachoy Covered Bridge
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000928 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 14, 1990 |
| Removed from NRHP | September 23, 2001 |
The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was a special kind of bridge. It was made of wood and had a roof and sides, just like a house. This helped protect the wooden parts from weather. People sometimes called it the Thomas Covered Bridge.
This bridge crossed over Oakachoy Creek in Coosa County, Alabama, United States. It was in a quiet, remote area. You could find it on a dirt road called Newman Road, not far from Nixburg, Alabama.
The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was built in 1916. It was 56 feet (17 meters) long. It used a special design called a Queen-post truss. This design helps make the bridge strong.
The bridge was important to history. It was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1977. Later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Sadly, the bridge was burned down by vandals on June 2, 2001. This meant Coosa County lost its last historic covered bridge.
The Bridge's Story
The Oakachoy Covered Bridge was built by a person named Melton Harris. He used timber from the local area. The bridge cost about $400 to build. Its main purpose was to connect two county seats: Rockford, Alabama in Coosa County and Dadeville, Alabama in Tallapoosa County, Alabama.
It's not known exactly when cars stopped using the bridge. It was later used only for people walking. Near the bridge site, you can still see old ruts. These were made by pioneer wagons crossing Oakachoy Creek over 150 years ago.
After the fire, only a few things remained. You can still see the stone foundations of the bridge. There's also a wooden post on the east side of the creek. This post still shows signs of being burned.
There is a local legend about the bridge being haunted. However, the Oakachoy Covered Bridge was built in 1916. This was long after slavery ended in the United States in 1865. So, this specific bridge couldn't have been involved in the old legend. Other bridges might have been there before, but this one was built much later.
You can find pictures of the Oakachoy Covered Bridge online. A website created by Dale J. Travis has many photos.
