Cherokee chieftain George Welch built a mill near this site circa 1820 and built an uncovered bridge sometime thereafter. As a result of the Cherokee removal in 1838 the land was sold to Jacob Scudder. In 1880, it was purchased by Dr. M. L. Poole. The original bridge washed away in 1899 and was replaced with this covered bridge in 1901. The builder, Bud Gentry, built it in the Town lattice design, common among Georgia’s covered bridges. The mill was abandoned in 1946 and burned in 1959.
After periods of disrepair, the structure was converted from private ownership and dedicated as a county park in 1997. It is a free site and a wonderfully maintained park.
This Town Lattice covered bridge, the only one remaining in Bartow County, was built on Euharlee Creek in 1886 by Washington W. King. King was the son of former slave and master architect and bridge builder Horace King.
The historical marker erected in 2000 by the Georgia Historical Society and the Federal Highway Administration notes, in part: In 1886 the county contracted with Washington W. King…and Jonathan H. Burke for the construction of this 138-foot bridge…This bridge replaced several previous structures, the last having been built two years prior.
The bridge remained in use until the completion of a modern bridge circa 1980. Much of the material used to build the massive Plant Bowen nearby was hauled over this historic bridge.
The Cromer family operated a woolen mill on Nails Creek from 1845 until the Civil War. After the war, a cotton gin, flour mill and saw mill were located here. They had all ceased operation by 1943.
The bridge, also known as Nails Creek Covered Bridge, was built in the Town lattice design by James M. Hunt in 1907. The span is 110 feet.
Red Oak Creek is a beautiful tributary of the Flint River. A free public park with picnic tables is located at the bridge for the many who travel here every year.
Located in the Imlac Community, near Woodbury and Gay, the Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge is sometimes referred to as the Imlac Bridge. The historical marker erected in 2001 notes: This bridge was built in the 1840s by freed slave and noted bridge builder Horace King (1807-1885). Constructed on the Town lattice design, the bridge’s web of planks crisscrossing at 45- to 60-degree angles are fastened at each intersection with a total of approximately 2,500 wooden pegs, or trunnels. Although King is credited with the construction of many covered bridges throughout west Georgia, this is his only surviving bridge of this design. At 391 feet, including the approaches, this structure is the oldest and longest wooden covered bridge in Georgia.
The design of the bridge is known as “Town lattice”, for the criss-crossing beams set in a lattice pattern and pegged at the joints and attached to spliced horizontal timbers which formed the girders for the span. The inventor of this style, Ithiel Town, was a Connecticut architect. He is said to have made a dollar a foot from contractors all over the country who built bridges using his durable design. It was a very popular style.
The covered portion of the bridge is 116 feet; its total span is 412 feet. There are approximately 2500 wooden pegs holding the truss together. For more, see the National Register nomination form.
Horace King (1807-1885)was born enslaved in South Carolina in 1807. He was given his freedom in 1848 by his enslaver, John Godwin, but continued to work for him. Godwin was a contractor and his jobs often needed the skill of King. King built a bridge spanning the Chattahoochee at Columbus, and later moved to the LaGrange area, where he was responsible for the construction of numerous covered bridges. His sons [John, Marshall, & Washington] followed him in this trade.
Georgia’s longest covered bridge is one of my favorite places. Watson Mill Bridge was built in 1885 over the South Fork of the Broad River by Washington (WW) King, son of the freed slave and great bridge builder, Horace King. The bridge is supported by the town lattice truss system and wooden pins.
The bridge is accessible at Watson Mill Bridge State Park, near Comer. It’s truly one of the most picturesque and beautiful outdoor spots in all of Georgia. Fewer than 20 of Georgia’s 200 historic covered bridges remain.
Now the centerpiece of George L. Smith State Park, the renovated structure seen here was built by James M. Parrish, who along with Alexander Hendricks purchased the surrounding 200 acres from J. J. Moring in 1880 and set about building a dam and grist mill on Fifteen Mile Creek. The structure also served as a covered bridge.
The pond, filled with cypress trees, is one of the most picturesque places in this section of Georgia and attracts fishermen, kayakers and nature lovers from all over. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth a visit. One of the most knowledgeable guides to the park is Wesley Hendley, who loves being on the water and has a real passion for the history of the area. Unfortunately, his guide business, Mill Pond Kayak, is not operational at the present time.
A relatively short walking trail follows the pond and affords views like these from one of several docks and overlooks. Take advantage of a peaceful hour or two and stop by when you’re in the area.
Originally known as the Zorn’s Mill or Hootenville Bridge, this historic 96-foot covered bridge was built in 1892 by the firm of Herring & Alford at a cost of $1,199. Dr. Herring was both a prominent physician and well-known bridge builder in central Georgia until his death in 1911.
The bridge was destroyed by floods in 1994 and rebuilt in 1997.
One of just 13 functional covered bridges remaining in Georgia, the Elder Mill bridge is all the more exceptional when you discover that it’s actually been moved and has remained in use.
Historic Marker Text: Built in 1897 by Nathaniel Richardson, this 99-foot-long bridge originally carried the Watkinsville-Athens Road over Calls Creek. It was moved here to Rose Creek in 1924 and the road was relocated to its present site. The nearby grist mill ceased operations in 1941. Constructed in the Town lattice design, the bridge’s web of planks crisscrossing at 45- to 60-degree angles are fastened with wooden pegs, or trunnels, at each intersection. It is one of the few covered bridges in Georgia continuing to carry traffic without underlying steel beams.
If you visit the bridge, make sure you drive across, pull over and walk down to beautiful Rose Creek. Views like this one are almost guaranteed, and it’s all free.
