The Rolling Stone Covered Bridge is a historic structure carrying County Road 800 North over Big Walnut Creek in Putnam County, Indiana.
The Rolling Stone Covered Bridge is a historic structure carrying County Road 800 North over Big Walnut Creek in Putnam County, Indiana.
In 1915, Joseph Albert Britton built the current covered bridge using the Burr arch truss design. 1 The single-span bridge rests on concrete abutments, featuring vertical plank siding and a metal roof. After its completion, county commissioners ordered a large boulder near the site to be dynamited to prevent potential damage to the bridge during floods.
Joseph Albert Britton (1839-1929), a native of Parke County, constructed approximately 40 covered bridges in Parke, Vermillion, and Putnam counties. 1 He was the son of a carpenter and enlisted for military service during the Civil War. Although admitted to the bar as an attorney in Indiana and Kansas, he returned to carpentry in Indiana, building his first bridge in 1882—the Narrows Bridge, now located in Turkey Run State Park.
The Burr arch truss was invented by Connecticut-based engineer Theodore Burr (1771-1822), who patented the design on April 4, 1817. 1 The system combines a supportive arch with king post trusses to provide added strength and stability.
The bridge’s importance declined after the designation of Indiana State Road 31 in 1919. 1 While it had served as a crucial link between Bainbridge and New Maysville, cutting several miles of travel, the new state road provided a more direct route.
Details
- State: Indiana
- Route: County Road 800 North
- Status: Active (Automobile)
- Type: Covered Burr truss
- Total Length: 103'
- Main Span Length: 0
- Spans: 0
- Deck Width: 16'
- Roadway Width: 0
- Height of Structure: 0
- Above Vertical Clearance: 18.2'
- Navigational Clearance: 14'
Sources
- Garner, Kurt West. “Rolling Stone Covered Bridge.” National Park Service, 1 Feb. 2023.