Roddy Road Covered Bridge, near Thurmont, Maryland [Photo Copyright 2006 by Yellowstone]

The sight of a picturesque covered bridge brings to mind a nostalgic image of a simpler time in North America, of horse-and-buggy rides through the bucolic rural countryside with perhaps even a stolen kiss or two as one rumbled slowly across the bridge. Although many of these historic treasures have been lost, there are still some 1500 in existence in the United States, and they are well worth a ramble down a narrow country lane for a visit. Here's the first installment of a collection of historic bridges which I have been working on, beginning with six in my current home state of Maryland. Our next-door neighbor, Pennsylvania, claims to be the Covered Bridge Capital of the World with 250 bridges, so I definitely have my work cut out for me. As I locate more of them, I'll add folders to this thread, so stay tuned.

NOTE: The question has arisen as to why bridges were covered: since these bridges were wood, covering the superstructure protected the timbers from weathering and extended the life of the bridge. Also, for those who are interested in bridge design, I have included the truss type for each bridge. For an excellent presention on the various truss types, click here.