Rating:
2 votes

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge

Greenup County, Kentucky
Share:

Photos 

Photo taken by Bill Eichelberger in October 2008

Enlarge

Map 

Street Views 

View Uglybridges.com report

Facts 

Overview
Covered bridge over Tygart's Creek on KY 1215
Location
Greenup County, Kentucky
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built ca. 1872; reconstructed 2003
Design
Wheeler Truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 153.9 ft.
Total length: 159.1 ft.
Deck width: 15.7 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1976
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.63067, -82.92689   (decimal degrees)
38°37'50" N, 82°55'37" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/332276/4277553 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Portsmouth
Inventory numbers
WGCB 17-45-01 (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
NRHP 76000892 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
KY 045-B00085N (Kentucky bridge number)
BH 36153 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 09/2011)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 24.1 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2011)
107

Categories 

19th Century (3,822)
Built during 1870s (545)
Covered (925)
Greenup County, Kentucky (14)
Have street view (9,891)
Kentucky (671)
Last of its kind (8)
NR-listed (2,354)
 One-lane traffic (7,112)
Open (28,316)
Owned by state (9,808)
Span length 125-175 feet (2,954)
Through truss (9,209)
Total length 125-175 feet (4,137)
Truss (23,573)
Wheeler through truss (1)

Update Log 

  • January 13, 2012: New Street View added by james back
  • March 13, 2010: Updated by Bill Eichelberger: Added Google Street View.
  • August 11, 2009: Posted HAER photos
  • October 30, 2008: New photos from Bill Eichelberger

Sources 

Post a comment here
Contact webmaster

Comments 

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 5, 2012, by Diana (childers [dot] diana [at] rocketmail [dot] com)

I hope it is still as beautiful as the photos, Tygarts creek is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. Hope Gen X can appreciate and take care of what they have been left in trust of. I would love to retire in such a place. All you need is a grocery store, gas station and a Pizza Shop, Job and or Inheirentance. First next stop would be heaven. Haven't been there since 1976. May need to take a road trip.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 12, 2011, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Only 7 bridges using Wheeler's unique design are known to have been built. The 6 Ohio spans have been gone for many decades while this 1 Kentucky example remains.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 12, 2011, by Will Truax (Bridgewright [at] gmail [dot] com)

Isaac's 1870 letters patent - http://tiny.cc/ne3lu

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 11, 2011, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

It is quite possible that the Bennett's built and earlier span here in 1855-6, perhaps an open wooden span that only lasted 15 years or so. This would explain much of the dissension with the dates.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 11, 2011, by Ronda Clayton (Rondalin1 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

It seems to me the meaning of building the bridge is by taking on the payment, not making a blue print or the manual labor, of the job. I agree that they are way off on spelling of his name. I'm not sure about the question of the year on the Historical sign. Though, I have his residence at Tygart Creek before that date.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted March 11, 2011, by Ronda Clayton (Rondalin1 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

I am glad it's still standing, regardless of whether Mr. Wheeler built it or not, as William Parmolee Bennett is my Great-Great Grandfather. It is exciting to know that our family made their mark on history and that it is still being used today.

Bennett's Mill Covered Bridge
Posted August 11, 2009, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

I don't know where the information for the historical marker came from, but it is way off. This bridge is the last remaining Wheeler Truss from only a handful that were built. Mr. Wheeler was from Scioto County, Ohio and patented the truss around 1870. Other sources that I have seen give the construction date as 1872, and Wheeler himself may have been the builder.