Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Burfordville Covered Bridge

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Photos

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Overview

This is probably one of the most photographed sites in Southeast Missouri

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Side view

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View from south of mill

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View from southwest

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View from southeast

Map

Vicinity map

Map links:

Timeline

Compiled by James Baughn

1858: Constructed started by Joseph Lansman
ca. 1867: Bridge completed
1908: Contractor paid $390 by the county to make extensive repairs
1932: Made obsolete by new bridges on MO 34
1950: Another set of extensive repairs made
May 19, 1970: Officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places
1971: Roof destroyed by high winds and replaced with wood shingles
1984: Repairs made to keep the bridge from collapsing after dry rot was discovered
1998: Bridge reconstructed with new lower chords and iron tension rods

Facts

Overview: Covered bridge over Whitewater River at Bollinger Mill Historic Site in Burfordville
Location: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Status: Open to pedestrians only, except during special events
Future prospects: Preserved as part of a state historic site
History: Construction started 1858 by Joseph Lansman, but not completed until ca. 1867
Design: 14-panel covered Howe through truss with wooden diagonals and iron verticals
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 129.9 ft.
Total length: 140.1 ft.
Deck width: 11.8 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.7 ft.
Recognition: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
Approximate latitude, longitude: +37.36823, -89.80208 (decimal degrees)
37°22'06" N, 89°48'07" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 16/251862/4139406 (zone/easting/northing)
Land survey: Survey No. 308 (T. 31 N., R. 11 E.)
USGS topographic map: Burfordville
Inventory numbers: WGCB 25-16-01 (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
NRHP 70000325 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 21084 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Sources

"Missouri's Covered Bridges" - Article by Dorothy Caldwell in the Jan. 1967 issue of Missouri Historical Review (Vol. LXI, No. 2)

Comments

Burfordville Covered Bridge

Posted November 19, 2007, by Karen (kthiers [at] sbc [dot] net)

I saw this bridge back in 1979 when I visited cousins in MO. Since then I've only seen one other in New Hampshire. I live in California and I doubt we have any in this state. I'm glad to see that it and the mill are still standing. I will have to share this picture with my brother who was with me on that trip.

Burfordville Covered Bridge

Posted March 6, 2006, by Vickie Massey (ladycobra1010 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

i grew up just 3 miles from this bridge and even went to school my 5th and 6th grade years at Burfordville School. I remember hauling hay as a kid from the hayfield just past the covered bridge, which was my great uncle joe's property. We brought some pretty good loads of hay across that bridge and all of our equipment as well. that was when the bridge was open for all traffic. i then got married in the yard beside of the old mill with the view of the covered bridge in the background. That place has a lot of memories for me and they all make me smile!

Burfordville Covered Bridge

Posted January 9, 2006, by brian fedex

i love covered bridges...