Staats Mill Covered Bridge, also known as Tug Fork Covered Bridge, is a historic 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 ...
near
Ripley in
Jackson County, West Virginia
Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,791. Its county seat is Ripley, and its largest municipality is Ravenswood.
History
In 1674, frontiersman Gabriel Arthur visited a la ...
,
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 ...
. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of
Big Mill Creek and was named for Enoch Staats' water-powered mill.
The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge was built adjacent to Enoch Staats' mill and store and played an important role in the history and development of Jackson County. Construction of the bridge was handled by the Jackson County Court, which paid a total of $1,788.35 to local craftspeople for completion of the structure.
Nearly long, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge was constructed using the Long system, patented by Stephen Long in 1830. The distinctive feature of Long trusses are the "X"-braced diagonals in each of the panels. This bridge has 11 such panels, each long and deep. The bridge is an impressive and historically significant example of a late nineteenth century timber-covered bridge building.
It 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 ...
in 1979.
In 1983, the old bridge was moved to the FFA-FHA State Camp at Cedar Lakes, from the original site and reconstructed across a pond at a cost of $104,000. It is in excellent condition and open to pedestrian traffic only. Central to the project, was the expertise and knowledge of Dr.
Emory Kemp
Emory Leland Kemp was the founder and director of the Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology at West Virginia University. There, he was Chair and Professor of Civil Engineering at the Benjamin M. Statler College of E ...
of
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
.
See also
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*
List of West Virginia covered bridges
This is a list of West Virginia covered bridges. There are 17 historic wooden covered bridges in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Only three of these bridges were built before 1870 and they are the three longest in the state. Each uses a standard ...
References
External links
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{{NRHP bridges
Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia
Buildings and structures in Jackson County, West Virginia
Transportation in Jackson County, West Virginia
Tourist attractions in Jackson County, West Virginia
Wooden bridges in West Virginia
Pedestrian bridges in West Virginia
Former road bridges in the United States
National Register of Historic Places in Jackson County, West Virginia
Historic American Engineering Record in West Virginia
Rebuilt buildings and structures in West Virginia
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia