Simpson Creek Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Simpson Creek Covered Bridge
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Bridgeport, West Virginia |
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| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Asa S. Hugill |
| MPS | West Virginia Covered Bridges TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000600 |
| Added to NRHP | June 4, 1981 |
The Simpson Creek Covered Bridge is a special old bridge in Bridgeport, West Virginia. It crosses over Simpson Creek near the Meadowbrook Mall. This bridge is a great example of history and engineering.
Bridge History and Design
This covered bridge was built way back in 1881. A person named Asa Hugill designed and built it. The bridge is about 14 feet wide and 75 feet long. It uses a special design called a "multiple-kingpost truss." This design uses many strong wooden triangles to make the bridge very sturdy.
The bridge you see today is not in its first spot. In July 1889, a big flood washed it away! But people worked hard to save it. They moved the bridge about half a mile upstream to its current, safer location.
The Simpson Creek Covered Bridge is very important. It is one of only two covered bridges left in Harrison County. The other one is the Fletcher Covered Bridge. Both bridges show off the clever kingpost truss design.
Making the Bridge New Again
In the fall of 2001, the West Virginia Division of Highways spent almost $400,000 to fix up the Simpson Creek Covered Bridge. These improvements helped keep the old bridge strong and safe.
The updates included a brand new wooden deck for cars to drive on. They also added new wooden siding on the outside. Finally, the bridge got a fresh coat of paint. These changes help the bridge last for many more years.
