The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is a state-owned wooden
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 ...
that spans the
Calvert Prong of the
Little Warrior River
Little Warrior River is a river in Blount County, Alabama. It is a tributary of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River
The Locust Fork River, in the U.S. State of Alabama, is one of three major tributaries of the Black Warrior River, stre ...
in
Blount County, Alabama
Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,134. Its county seat is Oneonta.
Blount County is a moist county. In the November 6, 2012 elections, a countywide ballot initiative t ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is located on a river crossing (Horton Mill Road) to Ebell Road and Covered Bridge Circle, off
State Route 75 about north of the city of
Oneonta.
Built in 1934, the bridge is a
Town Lattice truss
A lattice bridge is a form of truss bridge that uses many small, closely spaced diagonal elements forming a latticework, lattice. The lattice Truss Bridge was patented in 1820 by architect Ithiel Town.
Originally a design to allow a substantial br ...
with two spans. Its
WGCB number is 01-05-07. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was listed on 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 v ...
on December 29, 1970, the first covered bridge in the southeastern United States to be added. At , it is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. It was reopened on March 11, 2013, after being closed in 2007 due to vandalism. The bridge will no longer open to motor vehicle traffic after April 1, 2022.
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is maintained by the
Alabama Historical Commission
The Alabama Historical Commission is the historic preservation agency for the U.S. state of Alabama. The agency was created by an act of the state legislature in 1966 with a mission of safeguarding Alabama’s historic buildings and sites. It consi ...
, Blount County Commission, and the
Alabama Department of Transportation
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is the government agency responsible for transportation infrastructure in Alabama. The Department is organized into five geographic regions, with a Central Office located in Montgomery, AL
Montg ...
.
History
The original Horton Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1894 at the foot of Sand Mountain, about downstream from the current bridge. It was named for a local business owned by Thurman M. Horton, who helped construct the first bridge. This bridge allowed residents of Sand Mountain a better means of access to nearby Oneonta as well as to Horton's mill and a general store which were located along the east side of the Calvert Prong.
Construction of the current Horton Mill Covered Bridge began in 1934 over a deep gorge cut by the river, led by Talmedge Horton, a family descendant of Thurman Horton. It took a 15-man crew 1-1/2 years to complete the project. This crew included foreman Zelma C. Tidwell, who helped in building three other prominent covered bridges in Blount County (
Easley,
Nectar
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
,
Swann). The bridge was fully restored in 1974 by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Blount County Commission. It is one of three historic covered bridges remaining in Blount County.
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was reported closed to motor vehicle traffic on September 27, 2007, due to unsafe conditions. According to a member on the photo website
Flickr
Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...
as well as a report from the ''
Blount Countian'', vandals attempted to remove some of the roof supports on the west side of the bridge by tying a cable or chain around them and attached the other end to either a tow hitch or hook ... using a vehicle to try to pull them out, causing significant damage. A photo showing the damaged end of the Horton Mill Covered Bridge can be seen by clicking the reference link to Flickr below. The other two historic covered bridges remaining in Blount County, Easley and Swann, were closed to motor vehicle traffic in 2009 for unsafe conditions after routine inspections.
Restoration of all three covered bridges began in late 2011 starting with the Swann Covered Bridge near
Cleveland, Alabama
Cleveland is a town in Blount County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,245.
History
Cleveland was settled in the 1820s, and had grown into a small community by the early 1880s. It was initially known as Dry Cre ...
. Money for these projects primarily came from the federal
National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program as well as transportation enhancement funds. The $469,110 construction contract was awarded to Bob Smith Construction of
Trussville, Alabama
Trussville is a city in Jefferson and St. Clair counties in the State of Alabama. It is a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population at the 2020 census was
26,123.
Geography
Trussvi ...
. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge would be the last to be restored due to its high elevation above the river which made things more challenging. Wooden structural pieces were repaired or replaced as needed and new tin roofs were put on all three bridges in order to keep the weather off vital supporting timbers. Total restoration costs for the covered bridges was approximately $540,000. The difference was covered by county expenditures.
Following necessary repairs and upgrades, the Horton Mill Covered Bridge was reopened to motor vehicle traffic on March 11, 2013.
In late 2015, cameras were installed at the three remaining covered bridges in Blount County to help deter vandalism after
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
was found on the Easley Covered Bridge a year earlier.
It has since been cleaned and re-painted.
In January 2022, the Blount County Commission voted in their monthly meeting to have the Horton Mill Covered Bridge closed to motor vehicle traffic beginning on April 1, 2022, due to ongoing safety concerns and recent costly repairs. The bridge will only be crossed by pedestrians after this date. This vote stemmed from another motor vehicle accident that occurred in November 2021, damaging the nearby Swann Covered Bridge. It has since been repaired.
Dimensions
Main Span Length:
Total Span Length:
Deck Width:
Vertical Clearance:
Underclearance:
''Above measurements are approximate and unofficial. Total span length is not always the same as total bridge length.''
Organizational representations
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is featured on the seal of the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce.
See also
*
List of Alabama covered bridges
Below is a present list of Alabama covered bridges. There are currently eleven historic covered bridges remaining in the U.S. state of Alabama. Of those, six remain at their original locations.
The comparison between authentic and non-authentic c ...
References
* Dale J. Travis Covered Bridges
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007 and Dec. 16, 2009.
* Bridges to the Past: Alabama's Covered Bridges
Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
* Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
* ''The Decatur Daily''
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
* Alabamiana: A Guide to Alabama
Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
* Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Aug. 17, 2007.
* Southern Living: Tunnels in Time
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Sep. 24, 2007.
* ''The Blount Countian'' (October 3, 2007). Retrieved Nov. 28, 2007.
* Flickr
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Feb. 28, 2008.
* BhamWiki
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved Nov. 3, 2008.
* Alabama Power News Center
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved May 30, 2013.
* AL.com via ''The Birmingham News''
Retrieved May 30, 2013.
* Ancestry.com SSDI
Horton Mill CB: Credits Retrieved May 8, 2014.
External links
*
{{NRHP in Blount County, Alabama
Bridges completed in 1934
National Register of Historic Places in Blount County, Alabama
Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
Wooden bridges in Alabama
Transportation buildings and structures in Blount County, Alabama
Tourist attractions in Blount County, Alabama
Historic American Engineering Record in Alabama
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
Lattice truss bridges in the United States
1934 establishments in Alabama