Covered Bridges In America

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The first known covered bridge in America crossed the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia with a length of 550 feet
Covered bridges are nostalgic pieces of the past and the essence of romance. They make people think about to what life was like in the past.
Today, covered bridges are often used as wedding venues. The legend is that covered bridges were built to provide a place for a man to court his lady and give her a kiss. This is why covered bridges are sometimes called "Kissing Bridges.”
There are several more utilitarian reasons that covered bridges were built:
• Covering the bridges protects them from the weather, and so they last longer.
• The spans of the covered bridges were built to look like barns. This helped farm animals feel more comfortable, and prevented them from stampeding as they were driven across bodies of water.
• The cover disguised the ugly trusses
…show more content…
• Covered bridges provided a safe home for many birds and insects
• The covering provided shelter to travelers on rain and snow.

At one time, there were almost 15,000 covered bridges in the U.S. Today, there are less than 800.

Time had an inevitable effect on many covered bridges, but federal grants have been made available in some states for restoration of historic bridges that were on the cusp of disintegration.
Today, there is still something about covered bridges that attract us. Covered bridges have been the inspiration for many beautiful paintings and other works if art. They are romantic structures that bring about thoughts of the

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