Harrisburg Covered Bridge

The Harrisburg Covered Bridge is a covered Queenpost pony truss bridge over the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River in Harrisburg, Tennessee.

The Harrisburg Covered Bridge is a covered Queenpost pony truss bridge over the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River in Harrisburg, Tennessee.

History

The first iteration of a covered bridge across the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River in Harrisburg, known locally as McNutts Bridge, washed away in a flood in early 1875. ¹ In March, the Seiver County Court appointed a committee composed of three members to oversee the reconstruction of the bridge. Through community support, citizens were able to donate $50, wood, and labor towards the rebuilding of the bridge; the county donated an additional $25 toward the project. Elbert Stephenson Early, whose family was known for their carpentry, engineering and millwright experience, was hired to oversee construction of the new covered bridge.

The Harrisburg Covered Bridge was bypassed in 1915. ¹ To provide greater structural support of the crossing, a concrete pier was installed in the center of the wood truss in 1952.

By the 1970s, the covered crossing had deteriorated and faced demolition. ¹ The Great Smokies Chapter and the Spencer Clack Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution raised funds to repair the historic bridge, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It was once again renovated with a new flooring system and some new structural beams in 1983.

Through a grant from the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program through the Federal Highway Administration and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge was extensively rehabilitated in 2004. ¹ It was reopened to traffic on December 2, 2004.

Gallery

Information

• State: Tennessee
• Route: 0
• Type: Covered Queenpost Truss
• Status: Active - Automobile
• Total Length: 83 feet
• Main Span Length: 64 feet
• Deck Width: 11.4 feet

Sources

1. “Harrisburg Covered Bridge.” Tennessee Department of Transportation. August 16, 2007 Page.