I'm not sure why I have had trouble locating covered bridges in the south, but it has been a source of frustration for me. I suppose that at some point in the future, I will be traveling through Georgia, and with all of the courthouse pictures having been taken, I can really focus on those that I missed. On the plus side, I was able to locate a number of them, so I don't feel as if I've totally been shut out. I still have a couple of older ones in North Carolina to find, which means that the mission has changed in that region.
South Carolina has but one authentic covered bridge and that is Campbell's Bridge in Gowansville, in Greenville County. It was quite a change from finding courthouses (and parking spaces) in Spartanburg and Greenville. It was during my last swing through South Carolina in July 2016, during which I found the last five county courthouses in the state's northwest corner. The bridge is quite small and is painted bright red. It is in a park setting as traffic no longer can pass through the 1909 span over Beaverdam Creek. Here is one view of the bridge.
On this particular trip, I had sought out a couple of bridges in the Franklin County area. One I was able to find, and one I was not. The Cromer's Mill Bridge is outside of Carnesville, Georgia, and once I lost signal, I was on my own. Fortunately, I found the namesake road and the bridge. There is a lot of overgrowth near the bridge, and I didn't want to flush out any snakes by rustling through the long grass. Here is a view of the bridge.
Lula's Bridge in Banks County, is a relocated and reconstructed bridge that was rebuilt in 1975. I even stopped to ask for directions, but even with GPS kicking back in, and finding the correct road, the 34' bridge eluded my eyesight. I will probably find it in future meanderings through the state on the way to Florida in the future.
In June of 2016, I made a round trip to North Carolina and back. Two bridges in Oglethorpe County were my quarry. Having left Lexington, and heading toward the next county, I was frustrated in finding Howard's Covered Bridge. Finding the Watson's Mill Bridge was easy as it is the entryway to a state park. It is the longest in the state and the setting reminded me of some I'd seen in New England. Here is a view from downstream.
On the return trip in June of 2016, I located the Elder Mill Covered Bridge just outside of Watkinsville in Oconee County, Georgia. This is one that you can still drive across. I certainly hoped that I would be able to find all of the bridges in Georgia, but this was the only one scheduled on this particular segment, so I was 100% successful. This one is well marked and relatively easy to find.
There is one bridge in isolation in Georgia, and it is the southernmost bridge in Early County. I did have to retrace my path for about 12 miles, and this was during my December 2016 trip to the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and SW Georgia. This bridge is fairly easy to find and is in a park setting. Good views are available from downstream. It is the Coheelee Bridge in Hilton.
On the moving trip in June 2017, I had planned to find most of the bridges left in the state. I was thwarted a few times, but did find a number of them. Some were easy to find, some were not. It was in a downpour, after some 500 miles from the starting point and I found Auchumpkee Bridge in Upson County. It was rebuilt by the Gratons of Ashland, New Hampshire after the 1892 bridge had been destroyed in a flood. Also in the area is the Red Oak Covered Bridge in Meriwether County. That was one that remains on my unseen list. I've since purchased Covered Bridges of the South by Harold Stiver, and his impeccable directions should help me to find the missing ones at some point in the future.
Later on during the trip, I sought out the Concord Covered Bridge in Smyrna--just outside of Marietta, which is my least favorite place to drive in the whole of Georgia. Finding a parking spot during rush hour traffic on this suburban road is not easy. Backing out into traffic is even harder. Do this visit between 10 am and 2 pm to preserve your sanity. The 1872 bridge is over 100 feet in length and it carries vehicular traffic--quite a bit of it as a matter of fact.
Earlier in the day, I had problems locating Haralson's Mill Covered Bridge which was built to the old standards in 1997. There is ample parking and the road is not particularly busy. Located about 5 miles out of Conyers, Georgia, there is a sign that appears to be misplaced, as it is nowhere near the bridge. Stream views are obstructed. Here is the straight on portal view.
After leaving urban Georgia (Atlanta Metro area) I headed toward the northwest corner of the state. There was quite a stretch of rural travel on the way to Bartow County, and the directions I had for the bridge were deceptive in its placement near Cartersville, caused me to NOT drive down a road name "Covered Bridge Road". I must confess that the iced tea had altered my focus after I had left Cherokee County. I also knew that I had about 4 more County Courthouses to visit before dark. So, the 1886 Eurharlee Covered Bridge would be bypassed on this particular trip. In retrospect, it was a correct decision as my pictures in Rome, Georgia, were at dusk, and the pictures of the white courthouse in Summerville were in darkness. I never would have been able to get to my destination otherwise. That chain reaction might have had me pass up the drive up to Lookout Mountain the next day.
Two other bridges that I did not see were the Hurricane Shoals Bridge in Jackson County. To be honest, I am not sure why I missed that one, other than I must've been focused on the setting sun. My courthouse pictures in Jackson County were during a trip in which I added a couple of counties because of the detours I undertook due to arson fires. The other one I missed was the Stone Mountain Bridge--it was just too far out of my path near Atlanta.
I did find two more bridges on my moving trip. One was Poole's Mill Covered Bridge near Cumming, Georgia. It is in a park setting and is not visible from the road that bypasses it. A swimming area is in the stream, but I was still pushing on to get Gwinnett County's courthouses before dark, so I passed. Once you do find the bridges in Georgia, there are detailed historic signs in most cases, which add some interesting facts about the bridges.
My final night in Georgia was spent in Helen, a beautiful village in White County. It is quite mountainous and rural. Trout streams abound. I had three more Georgia counties in which to photograph courthouses. The Stovall's Mill Covered Bridge between Cleveland (White County Seat) and Clayton (Rabun County Seat) is a very small one, and as seems to be the case with many in Georgia, is named for some guy who had a nearby mill on the stream. This bridge is quite short, and unfortunately, subjected to graffiti. This side view will show the rural setting by Chickamauga Creek quite well. The bridge was featured in the 1951 movie I'd Climb The Highest Mountain starring Rory Calhoun and Susan Hayward. I have not watched it.
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