Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge

Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge, Greenup County, Kentucky

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Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge

Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge, which crosses Tygarts Creek several miles south of the creek’s junction with the Ohio River in the north-east corner of Kentucky.  It was built in 1854 near the town of South Shore in Greenup County.  It is one of 13 covered bridges still standing in Kentucky.  At 195-foot-long, the bridge is the longest single span covered bridge in Kentucky.  It is also the only example of a Wheeler truss bridge in the United States.  The bridge remains open to vehicular traffic with a 5-ton weight limit.

Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge, Greenup County, Kentucky

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The bridge was commissioned, and named after, B.F. and Pramley Bennett to facilitate access to a mill the two brother operated on the banks of Tygarts Creek.  The bridge was threatened with destruction during the Civil War.  To protect it, the brothers hid guns in the hills to the east and west in order to protect their investment.

Since construction the bridge has never received a coat of paint.  What we see in these images is the recently restored structure.  Like the original, the side boards have been cut short of the roof line for ventilation and lighting.

Using a grant from the US Department of Transportation received in 2000, repairs were made to restore the structural integrity of the bridge. In addition, the load capacity was raised from 3 to approximately 8 tons.

Like most covered bridges, this one is included on the National Register of Historic Places, being listed in March 1976.