Coldwater Covered Bridge - Oxford, Alabama

Coldwater Covered Bridge

Visible from the westbound lanes of Interstate 20 at Oxford, the Coldwater Covered Bridge is the oldest covered bridge in the State of Alabama.

Although some believe it was built as early as the 1830s, the bridge can be documented back as far as 1850 when it was a popular crossing over Coldwater Creek between Oxford and Talladega. Traditionally built by a freed slave, the bridge is a rare example of the Multiple Open King Post through Truss design which uses heavy posts raised on beams to support the apex of a triangle formed by the trusses of the bridge.

Coldwater Covered Bridge

Sixty-three feet long, the old bridge was used daily until around 1920 when it was damaged by fire. The damage was superficial, fortunately, and the bridge was repaired and continued to carry traffic over Coldwater Creek until it was replaced by a concrete structure in the modern era.

The Coldwater Covered Bridge then became the focus of a noteworthy local preservation effort which culminated in 1990 when it was moved to its present location at Oxford Lake Park and carefully restored. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is one of the best preserved and most accessible covered bridges in Alabama.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/coldwater.

Swann Covered Bridge - Blount County, Alabama

The sight of the historic Swann Covered Bridge stretching across the gorge carved by the Locust Fork of the Warrior River in Blount County is one of the most impressive in Alabama.

Built in 1933 to link the communities of Cleveland and Joy, the bridge is the longest surviving covered bridge in Alabama and is one of three still standing in Blount County. It is located near the modern city of Cleveland about 30 miles northeast of Birmingham.

Charming and picturesque today, covered bridges were developed by our ancestors as a way of extending the lives of wooden bridges. In the days before concrete and steel were commonly used in bridge construction, most spans were made of wood. As such, they were susceptible to rot from rain, snow and the elements in general. To better protect the flooring so the bridges would last longer, early bridge builders began fitting the structures with covers.

The Swann Covered Bridge, also sometimes called the Joy Covered Bridge because it was on the road to Joy, was built by Forrest and Zelmer C. Tidwell. Over 300 feet long, it features a main spain that is an impressive 75 feet long. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Easily accessible from U.S. Highway 231 at Cleveland, the bridge no longer carries traffic but is popular for sightseeing and photography. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/swann.