Staats Mill Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Staats Mill Covered Bridge, also known as Tug Fork Covered Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge
near Ripley
in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States
. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek
and was named for Enoch Staat's water-powered mill.
The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge was built adjacent to Enoch Staat's mill and store and played an important role in the history and development of Jackson County. Construction of the bridge was handled by the Jackson County Court, which paid a total of $1,788.35 to local craftspeople for completion of the structure.
Nearly 100 feet long, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge was constructed using the Long system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830. The distinctive feature of Long trusses are the “X”-braced diagonals in each of the panels. This bridge has 11 such panels, each eight feet seven inches long and 14 feet, three inches deep. The bridge is an impressive and historically significant example of a late nineteenth century timber-covered bridge building.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979.
In 1983, the old bridge was moved to the FFA-FHA State Camp at Cedar Lakes, three miles from the original site and reconstructed across a pond at a cost of $104,000. It is in excellent condition and open to pedestrian traffic only.
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...
near Ripley
Ripley, West Virginia
Ripley is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, West Virginia, United States.-Geography:Ripley is located at , along Mill Creek....
in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek
Mill Creek (western West Virginia)
Mill Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River, long, in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Ohio, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau...
and was named for Enoch Staat's water-powered mill.
The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge was built adjacent to Enoch Staat's mill and store and played an important role in the history and development of Jackson County. Construction of the bridge was handled by the Jackson County Court, which paid a total of $1,788.35 to local craftspeople for completion of the structure.
Nearly 100 feet long, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge was constructed using the Long system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830. The distinctive feature of Long trusses are the “X”-braced diagonals in each of the panels. This bridge has 11 such panels, each eight feet seven inches long and 14 feet, three inches deep. The bridge is an impressive and historically significant example of a late nineteenth century timber-covered bridge building.
It was 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...
in 1979.
In 1983, the old bridge was moved to the FFA-FHA State Camp at Cedar Lakes, three miles from the original site and reconstructed across a pond at a cost of $104,000. It is in excellent condition and open to pedestrian traffic only.
External links
- Staats Mill Covered Bridge, Spanning Tug Fork River, Routes 40W & 34, Ripley vicinity, Jackson, WV: 4 photos, 5 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Building Survey