Laurel Creek Covered Bridge, the shortest covered bridge in the state, carries County Route 23/4 over Laurel Creek near Lillydale, Monroe County, West Virginia.
On July 19, 1910, J. C. McClaugherty, county road engineer H. W. Peck, and Robert Arnott were appointed commissioners whose task was to locate a site for a covered crossing across Laurel Creek near Arnott’s residence. 1 A report was completed on August 26. Construction of the crossing began in 1911 by Lewis Miller, who completed the stonework, and Robert Arnott, who erected the superstructure.
The new Laurel Creek Covered Bridge was substantially completed by August 22, 1911, when the court ordered that Arnott be paid out of the county treasury for the construction of the structure. 1 It originally consisted of wooden siding painted barn red and a roof of chestnut shakes; the roof was later replaced with galvanized metal. At just 34 feet, six inches long and 13 feet, 2½ inches wide, it was the shortest covered bridge in the state. It also consisted of metal tension rods, typical for only bridges found in the southern part of the state.
The Laurel Creek Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and restored in 2000.
Information
- State: West Virginia
- Route: County Route 23/4
- Type: Covered Queenpost Truss
- Status: Active - Automobile
- Total Length: 34 feet, 6 inches
- Spans:
- Deck Width: 13 feet, 2½ inches
- Total Height: 17½ feet
- Above Vertical Clearance: 12 feet
- Navigational Clearance:
Sources
- Kemp, E. L. “Laurel Creek Covered Bridge.” National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form.