The Foundation For Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges
Foundation for Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges
505 Carter Street
Corbin, KY 40701
United States
ph: 1-606-528-2926
marty
Floyd County Lost Covered Bridges
These are the pictures and information that The Lost Covered Bridges of Virginia has on the lost covered bridges of Floyd County Virginia. If you have any other information on any other lost covered bridges for Floyd County Virginia, please let The Lost Covered Bridges of Virginia know so we can add the information on this site.
Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges has expanded onto three websites all inter-connected by click links. This will give us the extra space to expand as we add pictures and old maps and court orders as well as Civil War histories. For the Historical Maps For the Photo Gallery Railroad Covered Bridges and trestles Civil War History
Anyone interested in being an officer for the Foundation, the openings are listed at the bottom of the page
The Little River Covered Bridge
Covered bridge over the Little River in Floyd County Virginia 1938 photoThis covered bridge was located on Route 615, about 5.5 miles northeast of town on the road to Christiansburg. This was at one time the main line to Christiansburg. The bridge was built in 1851 by Granville Montgomery. The plans were drawn by Moses Dickenson. The bridge was about 100 feet long and about 12 feet wide. Built of the Town Lattice Truss design it spanned the Little River of Floyd County Virginia. The bridge originally had hand hewn wooden shingles but it was replaced later with a tin roof. The bridge was lost sometime around 1937.
Below is an excert from Ancestry.com
OLD COVERED GRIDGE (sic) SERVES OUT IT'S TIME
The "Covered Bride" on the Christiansburg Turnpike, now Route 615 is being razed by the Highway Department and a temporay bridge is now being used. The bridge now 94 years old was used by the soilders in the war between the States.The structure is located five miles northeast of Floyd Court House and the original construction contained two thousand wooden pegs which were used in place of the modern day nail.
( the above was under a picture of the bridge which didn't copy well enough to try to scan)
It is with regret to many of our older citizenry that it has become necessary to tear down what has always been know as the "Covered Bridge", one of the yet few yet standing in Virginia.of the antie-bellium days The attached article, written in 1933 and copied by the State Highway Department will doubtless be read with interest by our older citizens and of many of our younger ones---Editors Notes.
FLOYD Dec 26 ( special)
Spanning Little River five miles northeast of the Town of Floyd, on what was known in early history as the Christiansburg Road now 615 stands a bridge locally known as "The Covered Bridge" one of the few built in the ante-bellium days yet in use.
In the early history of this County travel was mainly directed this way.
Christiansburg was some 21 miles distant being the railroad center from which all merchandise must be hauled for the merchants and farmers living in the county, transportation being by horseback and wagons drawn by horses and oxen.
FORD WAS A BARRIER
The ford here became a perilous undertaking in the winter or in times of high water, and when, in 1840 the fact that a contract had been awarded to two local masons. Gill and Toncray, to build the stone work of the bridge, completed in 1850 must have caused the pioneer citizens to breathe a sigh of relief; for here, the river banks were steep, the river rapid and mud unfathomable after a hard rain.
Granville Montgomery, a county carpenter, was granted a contract for the framework, begun in 1851 and finished in 1852. He soon after built a similar structure over Big Reed Island in Caroll County. Design for the bridge was made by Captian Moses Dickerson, an uncle of the late Marle Dickerson of Poff, a local carpenter also.
All timber used was hewen by hand and fastened together with wooden pins which were made uniform by driving them through an iron mold having various sized holes, also hand made. Every pin of this project, and there were literally thousands of them was made by Captian Moses Dickerson and his father. Wesley Gardner, a veteran of the War Between the States, now living in Willis Ridge says that he assisted his father Alexander Gardner, one of the carpenters in the building of the original structure, patch the floor and the roof, many years ago.
He further says there is not a man now living who assisted in the erection of the orginial structure.
In those days the road leading here was little more than a bridle path with deep gullies on either side. Streams in rainy weather were almost impassable, deep mud following each rain. At places streaches of the road were covered with unbroken rock making the 21 miles to be traveled to Christiansburg a long day's journey For over a half of a century a steady procession of riders and drivers made their way over Pilot Mountian, for neither summer's heat nor winter's cold deterred them from their going. Here, at night, could be seen the fires of campers, going and coming with their wagons piled with merchandise and could be heard the music of the banjo and fiddle as the drivers, many of them colored, played their favorite tunes. An Aged negro, yet living, says that in 15 years he did not miss a single week's trip
In 1861, the soilders of the War Between the States marched through the bridge, the strains of music from fife and drum accompanying the tread of their feet.
Here, too, with his mother passed a youth destined to become a Rear Admril of the United States Navy, "Fighting Bob Evans", who, was born near the site of this bridge. Also passed a woman, a teacher here for many years, Miss Anne Maria Smith to whom Edgar Allen Poe is reported to have a dedicated his famous poem "To Annie"
Later, the soldiers of the World War passed this way, some never to return.
Echos of the feet of horses bearing General J. E. B. Stuart, General Stoneman (northern army, 1865) General Fitzgerald Lee and thousands of others, have long since been stilled in the dimming distance, and yet many whose forefathers were among the first to enter it's portals pass this way daily; descendants of the Howards, Hungates, Wells, Watkins, Sowers, Dickersons, Grahams and Phlegars.Article from Ancestry.com Author noted as jistoleclyde
District Offices Needing to be Filled
District Director (District 1)
Duties; Break down information and send to proper county officer. A leader for the district in encoraging research and opening up new ideas and addressing problems to the appropriate officers.
District Website Director (District 1)
Duties; Receive information and photos from sources and break it down for dispursement to proper county. Must proof all material for the district to ensure explicidly that all copywrite restrictions have been met. No material to be hosted without proper documentation and from original sources with permission. Articles sent in withour original owners must be chased down and permission granted. No newspaper articles or book unless permisssion has been granted. Information to be documented and sent to Exucitive Website Director. Once material is documented it can be dispursed to county Website Directors.
District Election Officer (District 1)
Duties; Receive ballots in District elections for District Officers, count, record and send to Executive Elections Officer. District counted will be from another District.
District Newsletter Director (District 1)
Duties; Gather information pertaining to our goals and news from the district. Compile this information into a newsletter biannualy. This will compile our District Newsletter. Newsletter to e emailed to Executive Newsletter Director.
County Offices needing to be filled
County Director (Floyd)
Duties; Give and receive information on Floyd County, roads names towns. A resource center for questions. Someone who knows the area and the people.
County website Director (Floyd)
Duties; Maintain and enter information for Floyd County's 5 webpages from information received from District Website Director. Nothing can be posted until first being approved by District Website Director.
County Election Officer (Floyd)
Duties; Count ballots once a year for a county offices for another county other than Franklin and turn results over to Executive Elections Director
County Newsletter Director (Floyd)
Duties; collect and edit information for Newsletter that pertains to Floyd County biannualy.
County Membership Director (Floyd)
Duties; To encourage membership. Document proper information for members (county, email address, and name for election and voting purposes)
There are also District offices to be filled as well as executive offices.
Floyd County is part of District 1 made up of Franklin, Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Floyd, Bedford, Roanoke city and county,
Foundation for Virginia's Lost Covered Bridges
505 Carter Street
Corbin, KY 40701
United States
ph: 1-606-528-2926
marty
