Covered Bridges Today

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Covered Bridges Today
ISBN
0938936727

Covered Bridges Today is a

Historic American Engineering Record
surveys and New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide, Indiana Covered Bridges and Covered Bridges in Virginia.

Background

Covered bridges are timber-truss bridges with a roof and siding which, in most covered bridges, create an almost complete enclosure.[1] The purpose of the covering is to keep snow from accumulating‍—‌winter snow accumulation could easily collapse a bridge, and the steep roof would tend to shed snow to either side.[citation needed] As of 2014, the United States has more than 800 extant covered bridges with more than 10,000 lost and historical bridges recorded by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges.[2] Krekeler became interested in studying covered bridges, their lore and their history, while in college. Krekeler obtained her master's degree in Historical Geography from the University of Cincinnati.[3]

Contents

Covered Bridges Today provides information on 412 bridges in the states of Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.[4]: 27  The book is geographically focused on Krekeler's home state of Ohio and includes all 142 remaining covered bridges in the state at the time of writing. However, the book is not a complete inventory of each state's extant bridges. When it was written, 76 of an estimated 228 Pennsylvania's bridges were included, 68 of Indiana's 98 covered bridges, and 43 of Vermont's estimated 100 bridges were also featured. Krekeler's use of estimations stems from the facts that covered bridges are lost periodically and that the bridges detailed include those restored or in immediate danger of collapse.[4]: 27  Within a year of the publication of the book, 30 bridges were lost.[5] Known bridges in states that are not in the listing are not named or cited. For example, West Virginia had 17 remaining bridges at time of publication, but the book only covers 10 of them.[4]: 346 

The book includes detailed information on each state's historic bridges before providing an individual listing of surveyed bridges. Each entry includes a description of the bridge, its history, a black and white photograph, and a local street map with directions. Interspersed throughout the book is a collection of color photographs ranging from a full page to a quarter page in size. Krekeler states that construction dates prior to 1850 are often questionable because of an absence of records and that these early sources would often contradict one another.[4]: 28  Krekeler's bibliography cites an extensive collection of state maps, numerous local newspaper sources and works like World Guide to Covered Bridges by Richard Donovan.[4]: 359–366  The information and sources used are cited at the end of each entry listing in the book, directly following the directions to the bridge. The book does not contain a typical index and instead favors a listing of bridges after the introduction of the state.[4]: 339  The book was published in 1989 by Daring Books.[4]

Impact

Larry Hart's review of the work focused on Krekeler's basic explanation of the various types of covered bridges from the early 1800s to the 1920s and the historical facts and trivia contained within about the distribution and surviving covered bridges. Hart recounts the claim that it is the "only complete pictorial study of covered bridges in the United States".

Historic American Engineering Record surveys have cited Krekeler's work numerous times, ranging from the estimations of the surviving truss types of covered bridges to more general and unspecific references.[7][8] Covered Bridges Today has been cited by later books on the subject of covered bridges including New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide, Indiana Covered Bridges and Covered Bridges in Virginia.[9][10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Covered bridge". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  2. ^ "World Guide to Covered Bridges". National Center for Wood Transportation Structures. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Hart, Larry (August 4, 1989). "Covered Bridges Are Inclusively Studied". Schenectady Gazette. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  4. ^
    ISBN 0938936727
    .
  5. ^ a b Grondahl, Paul (October 7, 1990). "Devotee's Uncover Bridges' Past". Times Union (Albany, New York). Archived from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  6. ^ McCain, Roger A. "Resources for the Study of Covered Bridges". Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  7. ^ "White's Creek Covered Bridge" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Humpback Covered Bridge" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  9. ^ Evans, Benjamin D.; June R. Evans. (2004). New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide. UPNE.
  10. ^ Mohr, Marsha Williamson (2012). Indiana Covered Bridges. Indiana University Press.
  11. ^ Pierce, Leola B. (2002). Covered Bridges in Virginia. Upstream Press Inc.
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