The Foundation For Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges

This Website is About Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges and the Impact They have had in The Civil War as well as the Growth and Development of Virginia and our Nation

The majority of the Civil War Battles fought in Virginia were over the destruction of a railroad bridge or a covered bridge  or in the defense of a covered road bridge or railroad. Both sides burned covered bridges to trap troops and to prevent them from following. Some battles were won while fresh troops watched from the other side of the river, unable to cross to help their fellow soldiers.

  At the beginning of the Civil War, all the covered bridges that crossed the Potomac were ordered burned, thereby separating the north from the south.

   In order to be able to receive pictures from some major sources, we ask that all material on this website not to be copied or reproduced except for educational and fair use. This website is to be a one-stop site for the histories of the wooden timbered bridges of Virginia, the impact they had on the Civil War and the path they have led us to today as far as the growth of Virginia and the nation as a whole.

  We feel by doing this we can obtain photographs from other institutions who would otherwise not allow it because of copywrite issues. This will allow the site to obtain information and pictures of higher quality and of even greater significance. I believe as a whole the website will become a much better resource for information.

The purpose of this site is to obtain and document the history of Virginia's lost covered bridges. This is a community and state-wide  project with the idea to invite and encourage the public to become involved with saving the information, and especially the photos,  that are out there before we wait too long and all of that is lost as well.

The Legends on the determination of a covered bridge.  On our site we list the following terms.;

Covered Bridge that is called that on our website because it is known to be an actual covered bridge.

Bridge is known to be an actual bridge. This could be a wooden, stone or any other bridge including a covered bridge but it is not known whether to be a covered bridge or not. These bridges are placed on the website in order to be researched.

Ford; is called that because it is known to be an actual ford. Some fords became bridges or were once bridges destroyed in some way. Some covered bridges are actually called a so and so ford bridge. Because the map says it is a ford, the term can be deceivving when researching bridges.

Ferry; is an actual ferry but some ferries became a bridge later or sometime prior to becoming a ferry.

River Crossing; this shows on a map as a road that crosses some watercourse but it is unknown whether a bridge is present or was present. It could be any of the above terms used above.

This website is a place of research and all the terms above are listed in order for them to be researched. The research on this website will be many years in the making with the contribution of several dedicated people.

Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges Historical Maps

Virginia's Lost Covered Railroad Bridges/trestles

Foundation For Kentucky's Lost Covered Bridges

Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges Photo Gallery

my email is marty@indianawyattbridge.com

For a map of Virginia's county's click here

From The Library of Congress 

Aqueduct Covered Bridge of Arlington County Virginia 1860's

From The Library of Congress 

 Aqueduct Covered Bridge of Arlington County Virginia 1860's

From The Library of Congress

Richmond Virginia and surrounding area showing bridges in 1860's

The Palmyra Covered Bridge of Fluvanna County Virginia      From a Postcard noted as 1919.

Photo courtesy of   S. Thomas Chewning, Jr and Patricia Williams Chewning

This is their website http://bremobluff.com/7.html

From The Library of Congress

Great Bridge and surrounding area 1860's showing bridges

From The Bassett Historical Center 

Cut Bank Covered Bridge over North Mayo River Henry County Virginia

 Hales Ford Covered Bridge of Franklin County Virginia

 Courtesy of Franklin County Historical Society

 Marysville Covered Bridge of Campbell County Virginia 1968

 Courtesy of Bassett Historical Center

To send photos and/or information, you may send it by email or regular mail to,

marty@indianawyattbridge.com