5 Picturesque Covered Bridges in West Virginia
Over the past year, I’ve been able to visit New England on multiple occasions. My partner is from New Hampshire, and every time we visit his home state I always find myself in awe of the covered bridges. Seeing these beautiful bridges spanning across the rivers and streams in New Hampshire made me wonder if there were any we could visit in West Virginia. To my surprise, the Mountain State is home to 17 of these postcard-worthy landmarks. I decided to compile a list of 5 covered bridges that you'll have to add to your next West Virginia Road Trip.
1. Philippi Covered Bridge - Barbour County, WV
Built in 1852 and spanning 285 feet across the Tygart River, the Philippi Covered Bridge is the oldest and longest in the state. This bridge made its mark in US history when Philippi was the site of the first land battle of the civil war. During the battle Union troops took control of the bridge and used it as barracks. In 1989, this piece of history was almost lost when the spark from a car set off a stream of gasoline, and nearly 60 percent of the bridge was destroyed. By 1991 the bridge had been completely restored, and today it still stands as only one of a handful of covered bridges still in use as a part of the federal highway system.
2. Barrackville Covered Bridge - Marion County, WV
Originally built in 1853 by Lemuel Chenoweth, the same man who built the Philipi Covered Bridge, the Barrackville Covered Bridge also has its own unique history. This bridge spans 145 feet across Buffalo Creek and tells us more history from the Civil war. In 1863 after Confederate troops swept the area General William ‘Grumble’ Jones ordered the bridge to be burned down. The Ice family, who ran a nearby mill, was able to convince the general to spare the bridge. Today, it still stands in its original location as a pedestrian-only bridge.
3. Indian Creek Covered Bridge - Monroe County, WV
You might have seen this bridge before. At 49.25 feet long, the Indian Creek Bridge in Monroe County is one of the most photographed places in West Virginia. This bridge was built in 1903, by two young builders with a vision. Ray and Oscar Weikel were 16 and 18 years old when they constructed the Indian Creek Covered Bridge. Today this pedestrian-only bridge is on Monroe County’s Heritage Quilt Trail, and houses antique vehicles from the 1900’s adding to the history of this beautiful structure.
4. Staats Mill Covered Bridge - Jackson County, WV
At 97 feet long the Staats Mill Covered bridge is one of two covered bridges in Jackson County, the other being Sarvis Fork Covered Bridge. The covered bridge was built in 1888 and named for a local mill and store owner Enoch Staats, who was an early settler of Jackson County. In 1982 as a part of a flood control project, the covers bridge was relocated 3 miles from its original site to the Ceder Lakes Conference center where it now serves pedestrians and campers.
5. Milton (Mud River) Covered Bridge - Cabell County, WV
This 14-foot wide and 208.5-foot long covered bridge has been dubbed the most “well-traveled” covered bridge in West Virginia. Originally built in 1876 the Milton covered bridge catered to vehicular traffic until 1985, when it was closed to cars. By 1996 the then pedestrian-only bridge was closed to foot traffic and began going under an extensive restoration project. The bridge was moved twice, but in 2001 it found its current home over the pond at the West Virginia Pumpkin Park where it's been reopened for pedestrians.
Have you ever visited one of the covered bridges in West Virginia? Whether you make a trip to one on this list or the other 12 spread through the state, I hope you can appreciate the unique history they each have to offer. They’re just a few of the places that make the Mountain State so special.
