The Grays River Covered Bridge is a one-lane
covered bridge
A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...
over the
Grays River in western
Wahkiakum County,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.
It is the only covered bridge still in use as a public highway in Washington State. The bridge was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1971.
[
]
History
The bridge was built in 1905 in order to allow horse and wagon agricultural traffic to cross the river. Hans P. Ahlberg, whose dairy farm spanned both sides of the river, was instrumental in getting county commissioners to authorize the project, which was built on his property by the Ferguson & Huston company of Astoria, Oregon.[ The bridge was covered three years later in 1908 to preserve the expensive wooden trusses from the ravages of the area rains.][ The roof of the covered bridge was originally built of "board and batten cedar siding with a capped tin roof."][
The bridge received a major restoration and reconstruction in 1988. In disrepair and at risk of being torn down, residents worked to raise funds for restoration. Reconstruction was completed by Dulin Construction of ]Centralia, Washington
Centralia () is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is located along Interstate 5 near the midpoint between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The city had a population of 18,183 at the 2020 census. Centralia is twinned with Ch ...
, for a cost of $295,980.00. The new bridge included steel beams some of which received a wood veneer to maintain the bridge's historic appearance.[ On September 30, 1989, the bridge was rededicated to public use, with author, ]granger
Granger may refer to:
People
*Granger (name)
*Hermione Granger, a fictional character in Harry Potter
United States
* Granger, Indiana
* Granger, Iowa
* Granger, Minnesota
* Granger, Missouri
* Granger, New York
* Granger, Ohio
* Granger, Te ...
, and Grays River resident Robert Michael Pyle
Robert Michael Pyle (born 19 July 1947) is an American lepidopterist, writer, teacher, and founder of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Much of his life story is told in the 2020 feature film '' The Dark Divide'', where Pyle ...
serving as master of ceremonies.[
]
Engineering
The Howe truss
A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridg ...
timber bridge with timber decking spans , is high with inside clearance, and is wide. Cedar shingles cover the exterior.[
Grays River Covered Bridge 1905 plan.jpg, 1905 bridge plans drawn up by Ferguson & Houston of Astoria, Oregon
Grays River Covered Bridge Howe Truss.JPG, Inside the Grays River Covered Bridge showing the Howe truss
]
Management
The bridge is the centerpiece of Ahlberg Park, which has been managed by the Grays River Grange since 2011[ and is the site of an annual Covered Bridge Festival.][
]
See also
* List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)
References
External links
* by Robin Bruce, 1991
Covered bridge over the Grays River, 1967 (Werner Leggenhager)
University of Washington Digital Collection
{{Authority control
Bridges completed in 1905
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
Wooden bridges in Washington (state)
Transportation buildings and structures in Wahkiakum County, Washington
Tourist attractions in Wahkiakum County, Washington
Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Wahkiakum County, Washington
Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
1905 establishments in Washington (state)