American Barns And Covered Bridges

This lovingly written book presents reliable records of such vanishing forms of architecture as the American barn and covered bridge. Delightful anecdotes accompany accurate line drawings of barns attached to houses, an "open" log barn in Virginia, a "top hat" barn in North Carolina, and more. Over 75 black-and-white illustrations.

As many as 15,000 covered bridges were built in North America over the past 200 years. Fewer than 1,000 remain. In America's Covered Bridges, authors Terry E. Miller and Ronald G. Knapp tell the fascinating story of these bridges, how they were built, the technological breakthroughs required to construct them and above all the dedication and skill of their builders. Each wooden bridge, whether still standing or long gone, has a story to tell about the nature of America at the time—not only about its transportational needs, but the availability of materials and the technological prowess of the people who built it. Illustrated with some 550 historical and contemporary photos, paintings, and technical drawings of nearly 400 different covered bridges, America's Covered Bridges offers five readable chapters on the history, design and fate of America's covered bridges, plus related bridges in Canada. Most of the contemporary photography is by master photographer A. Chester Ong of Hong Kong. 55 photo essays on the most iconic bridges including: Cornish-Windsor Bridge between Vermont and New Hampshire Porter-Parsonsfield Bridge, Maine East Paden and West Paden (Twin Bridges), Pennsylvania Philippi Bridge, West Virginia Hortons Mill Bridge, Alabama Medora Bridge, Indiana Rock Mill Bridge, Ohio Knight's Ferry Bridge, California Perrault Bridge, Quebec, Canada Hartland Bridge, New Brunswick, Canada Over time, wooden bridges eventually gave way to ones made of iron, steel and concrete. An American icon, many covered bridges became obsolete and were replaced—others simply decayed and collapsed. Many more were swept away by natural disasters and fires. America's Covered Bridges is absolutely packed with fascinating stories and information passionately told by two leading experts on this subject. The book will be of tremendous interest to anyone interested in American history, carpentry and technological change.

A richly detailed account of bridge builders, the tools they used, and their finished masterpieces, this profusely illustrated work describes foot bridges, latticework and double-decked structures, drawbridges, and more. Filled with information on bridge locations, lengths of spans, and other data, this priceless tribute to a bygone era. 150 black-and-white illustrations.

When its first covered bridge was constructed on the Ashtabula-Trumbull Turnpike in 1832, Ashtabula County was closer to frontier than a "new Connecticut." Its rutted roads promised adventure and suggested prosperity but also great hardship. Covered bridges, made mostly of local timber, would eventually soften the brutality of travel, isolation and a well-watered landscape. Their proliferation and preservation gave Ashtabula County the nickname "Covered Bridge Capital of the Western Reserve." Admire both famous and forgotten crossings with Carl E. Feather, who has spent over a quarter century mired in muddy creek beds, camera in hand, waiting for the perfect light."

Covered Bridges are historic pieces of American and Canadian rural history, gracing the countryside from Oregon to Tennessee and from California to New Brunswick and across Canada. In this lavishly illustrated volume Joseph D. Conwill recounts the rich, romantic history of covered bridges as they developed from early timber bridges, born out of the traditions of Medieval times, into modernized structures designed for the motorized traffic of the early twentieth century. Reflecting on the efforts to keep covered bridges in service as the face of the rural landscape is transformed, and the challenge of preserving their historic character while making them safe for modern traffic, Conwill guides the reader across the diverse range of covered bridges to be found throughout the North America.

More than just relics of a bygone era, covered bridges enjoy a cherished place in the public imagination and a distinctive niche in northeastern America's regional lore and architectural history. Once, 250 covered bridges dotted the landscape of New York State. But natural disaster and human progress exacted a price, leaving only twenty-four historic bridges intact. Here is the first detailed guide to these structures, many of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Completed between 1854 and 1912, they represent a wide variety of designs—from timber and truss constructs to odd windows and walls painted in the style of an "old red barn." Rick L. Berfield offers an evocative look at how covered bridges came into existence and explores fully the colorful and arcane customs they inspired. "Kissing bridges," for example, offered seclusion for sweethearts. Toll bridges appeared on an emerging turnpike system. Baptisms and weddings were conducted on those veritable platforms, which were also favored haunts for traveling sales personnel. Brilliant color photos, driving instructions, and statistics with accompanying map make this both a practical and appealing reference, practical and appealing reference, a work that will interest both the devotee and general reader alike.

Gregory D. Huber updates John Fitchen's The New World Dutch Barn with extensive new material. Added to Fitchen's descriptions of barn types, framing style, and exterior appearance is research information that relates to the form, fabric, and essence of each Dutch barn. Huber notes the secondary expressions seen in barns in various locations in both New York and New Jersey, the evolution of the barn building tradition, and why only one of the four major tie-beam types found in the Netherlands proliferates in America.