Fallasburg Bridge
Encyclopedia
Fallasburg Bridge is a 100 feet (30.5 m) span Brown truss
covered bridge
, erected in 1871 in Vergennes Township
, Michigan, United States, 5 miles (8 km) north of Lowell
on the Flat River
. Carrying Covered Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located in the Fallasburg Historical District south of Whites Bridge
and Smyrna. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, and along with Whites Bridge
and Zehnder's Holz Brucke, is one of only three Michigan covered bridges open to vehicle traffic.
The bridge uses the Brown truss
system, a through truss consisting of diagonal compression beams and (optionally) almost vertical tension member
s (slanting in at the top toward the center of the span). This system was patented by Josiah Brown of Buffalo, New York
, in 1857. The Brown truss is similar to the Howe arrangement of "X" bracing and counter bracing, but uses lighter members and less timber. It contains no upright compression members and uses no iron except for bolt connectors at the timber intersections. BuildersBresee for this bridge, Bresee and Walker for Whites Bridge
, William Holmes for Ada Covered Bridge
used the Brown truss successfully in at least four covered bridges in Michigan, three of which (Ada Covered Bridge
, Whites Bridge
and this one) are still in existence. The Brown truss was thus briefly popular in Michigan but did not gain wide acceptance elsewhere.
The bridge currently rests on concrete
and fieldstone
footing
s at each end put in place in 1905. As is typical for covered bridges, it is a frame structure with a gable
d roof that is covered with creosote
shingles
. Its construction is of the through-truss type, and the white pine
(sourced from Greenville
, Michigan
) trusses are completely sheathed on the outside with rough pine boards. The floor is 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and 100 feet (30.5 m) long and the bridge has an inside clearance of 12 feet (3.7 m).
The bridge has warning signs on each portal: "$5 fine for riding or driving on this bridge faster than a walk."
, New York. John W. and Silas S. Fallas settled here in 1837, founding the village, a stop on the main stage route from Ionia to Grand Rapids, and constructing a chair factory (considered an important precursor to the furniture industry in the Grand Rapids
area), saw mill
and grist mill.
This bridge is at least the second bridge across the Flat at this location, although records are unclear. It is known that a bridge was built here in 1840, and was subsequently destroyed by ice jams and flood
ing. At least one other predecessor to this bridge is believed to also have been constructed, and destroyed in a similar manner, but records are unclear. In 1871, Jared N. Bresee, builder of the Ada Covered Bridge
in nearby Ada
, was contracted to build the present structure at a cost of $1500.
The bridge has had repairs and strengthenings over the years, including replacement of the original abutments with concrete in 1905, and two other extensive repair sessions in 1945, and 1994. Because the various repairs and restorations were completed with "conscientious attention to detail", it is believed that the bridge has retained historic integrity and character.
The adjacent grist mill site was the focus of an archaeological
dig by Michigan Tech
industrial archaeologists
in 2003.
The Fallasburg Covered Bridge was listed with the Michigan State Register on February 12, 1959. It was awarded a Michigan Historical Marker (site S0197) on September 10, 1971. The bridge was then listed with the National Register on March 16, 1972. The bridge lies within the Fallasburg Historic District, designated a historic district
(District ID: #98001217) on March 31, 1999.
The historical marker at the site reads as follows:
and Zehnder's Holz Brucke, is one of only three Michigan covered bridges open to vehicle traffic.
Brown truss
A Brown truss is a type of bridge truss, used in covered bridges. It is noted for its economical use of materials and is named after the inventor, Josiah Brown Jr., of Buffalo, New York, who patented it July 7, 1857 as US patent 17,722.-Description:...
covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
, erected in 1871 in Vergennes Township
Vergennes Township, Michigan
Vergennes Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,611.-Geography:...
, Michigan, United States, 5 miles (8 km) north of Lowell
Lowell, Michigan
Lowell is a city in Kent County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,013. The city is in the northern portion of Lowell Township, but is politically independent...
on the Flat River
Flat River (Michigan)
The Flat River is a tributary of the Grand River in the western part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It rises as the outflow of the six lakes system in Belvidere Township, west of Edmore in Montcalm County. It flows mostly south and slightly west through Montcalm County, Ionia County, and Kent...
. Carrying Covered Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located in the Fallasburg Historical District south of Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge is a 120-foot span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1869 in Keene Township, Michigan, United States, near Smyrna on the Flat River. Carrying Whites Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located north of the Fallasburg Bridge and south of Smyrna...
and Smyrna. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and along with Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge is a 120-foot span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1869 in Keene Township, Michigan, United States, near Smyrna on the Flat River. Carrying Whites Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located north of the Fallasburg Bridge and south of Smyrna...
and Zehnder's Holz Brucke, is one of only three Michigan covered bridges open to vehicle traffic.
Design
Brown truss
A Brown truss is a type of bridge truss, used in covered bridges. It is noted for its economical use of materials and is named after the inventor, Josiah Brown Jr., of Buffalo, New York, who patented it July 7, 1857 as US patent 17,722.-Description:...
system, a through truss consisting of diagonal compression beams and (optionally) almost vertical tension member
Tension member
Tension members are structural elements that are subjected to axial tensile forces. They are usually used in different types of structures. Examples of tension members are: bracing for buildings and bridges, truss members, and cables in suspended roof systems....
s (slanting in at the top toward the center of the span). This system was patented by Josiah Brown of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, in 1857. The Brown truss is similar to the Howe arrangement of "X" bracing and counter bracing, but uses lighter members and less timber. It contains no upright compression members and uses no iron except for bolt connectors at the timber intersections. BuildersBresee for this bridge, Bresee and Walker for Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge is a 120-foot span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1869 in Keene Township, Michigan, United States, near Smyrna on the Flat River. Carrying Whites Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located north of the Fallasburg Bridge and south of Smyrna...
, William Holmes for Ada Covered Bridge
Ada Covered Bridge
The Ada Covered Bridge is a span Brown truss covered bridge erected in 1867 in Ada, Michigan, United States. Carrying Bronson Street across the Thornapple River, it is located just south of where the Thornapple enters the Grand River, in turn just south of M-21...
used the Brown truss successfully in at least four covered bridges in Michigan, three of which (Ada Covered Bridge
Ada Covered Bridge
The Ada Covered Bridge is a span Brown truss covered bridge erected in 1867 in Ada, Michigan, United States. Carrying Bronson Street across the Thornapple River, it is located just south of where the Thornapple enters the Grand River, in turn just south of M-21...
, Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge
Whites Bridge is a 120-foot span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1869 in Keene Township, Michigan, United States, near Smyrna on the Flat River. Carrying Whites Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located north of the Fallasburg Bridge and south of Smyrna...
and this one) are still in existence. The Brown truss was thus briefly popular in Michigan but did not gain wide acceptance elsewhere.
The bridge currently rests on concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
and fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
footing
Footing
The word footing has a number of meanings:*Architecture, Foundation *Translation Science, Footing *Bookkeeping, Footing *Sexuality, Footing *Jogging...
s at each end put in place in 1905. As is typical for covered bridges, it is a frame structure with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof that is covered with creosote
Creosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
. Its construction is of the through-truss type, and the white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
(sourced from Greenville
Greenville, Michigan
Greenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) trusses are completely sheathed on the outside with rough pine boards. The floor is 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and 100 feet (30.5 m) long and the bridge has an inside clearance of 12 feet (3.7 m).
The bridge has warning signs on each portal: "$5 fine for riding or driving on this bridge faster than a walk."
History
This location along the Flat was settled by two brothers from Tompkins CountyTompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
, New York. John W. and Silas S. Fallas settled here in 1837, founding the village, a stop on the main stage route from Ionia to Grand Rapids, and constructing a chair factory (considered an important precursor to the furniture industry in the Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
area), saw mill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and grist mill.
This bridge is at least the second bridge across the Flat at this location, although records are unclear. It is known that a bridge was built here in 1840, and was subsequently destroyed by ice jams and flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing. At least one other predecessor to this bridge is believed to also have been constructed, and destroyed in a similar manner, but records are unclear. In 1871, Jared N. Bresee, builder of the Ada Covered Bridge
Ada Covered Bridge
The Ada Covered Bridge is a span Brown truss covered bridge erected in 1867 in Ada, Michigan, United States. Carrying Bronson Street across the Thornapple River, it is located just south of where the Thornapple enters the Grand River, in turn just south of M-21...
in nearby Ada
Ada Township, Michigan
Ada Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 9,882. Ada is the corporate home of Alticor and its subsidiary companies Quixtar and Amway.- Communities :...
, was contracted to build the present structure at a cost of $1500.
The bridge has had repairs and strengthenings over the years, including replacement of the original abutments with concrete in 1905, and two other extensive repair sessions in 1945, and 1994. Because the various repairs and restorations were completed with "conscientious attention to detail", it is believed that the bridge has retained historic integrity and character.
The adjacent grist mill site was the focus of an archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
dig by Michigan Tech
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
industrial archaeologists
Industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology, like other branches of archaeology, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times to the most recent...
in 2003.
Historical marker
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
(District ID: #98001217) on March 31, 1999.
The historical marker at the site reads as follows:
John W. and Silas S. Fallas settled here in 1837, founded a village which soon boasted a chair factory, sawmill, and gristmill. About 1840 the first of several wooden bridges was placed across the Flat River, but all succumbed in a short time to high water and massive spring ice jams. Bridge builder Jared N. Bresee of Ada was given a contract in 1871 to build the present structure. Constructed at a cost of $1500, the bridge has lattice work trusses made of white pine timbers. As in all covered bridges, the roof and siding serve to protect the bridge timbers from rot. Repairs in 1905 and 1945 have kept the bridge safe for traffic for one hundred years.
Present day use
The bridge remains open to vehicular traffic. It lies within what is now known as the Fallasburg Pioneer Village or Fallasburg Historical District, established March 31, 1999, and adjacent to the Fallasburg Park. It has a load limit of 3 tons (2.7 tonnes). Along with Whites BridgeWhites Bridge
Whites Bridge is a 120-foot span Brown truss covered bridge, erected in 1869 in Keene Township, Michigan, United States, near Smyrna on the Flat River. Carrying Whites Bridge Road across the Flat, it is located north of the Fallasburg Bridge and south of Smyrna...
and Zehnder's Holz Brucke, is one of only three Michigan covered bridges open to vehicle traffic.
The picturesque setting of Fallasburg Park displays Fallasburg Covered Bridge to perfection. Its rural location and quality construction contributed to its survival during a time when old covered bridges were being destroyed to make way for new road construction.
See also
- Brown trussBrown trussA Brown truss is a type of bridge truss, used in covered bridges. It is noted for its economical use of materials and is named after the inventor, Josiah Brown Jr., of Buffalo, New York, who patented it July 7, 1857 as US patent 17,722.-Description:...
- List of Michigan covered bridges
- List of Registered Historic Places in Kent County, Michigan
External links
- Aerial view from Google maps
- Fallasburg village page from Michigan.org Travel site
- Fallasburg Bridge page from Midwest Bridges site
- Fallasuburg bridge 360 Panorama from 360 Michigan site
- Fallasburg Park page from Kent County government site