White Oak Creek Covered Bridge, Alvaton Georgia
The White Oak Creek Covered Bridge, one of Georgia's 22 remaining covered bridges, is of the Long truss type. Built c. 1880, it is attributed to Georgia's most famous bridge builder, Horace King.
The Long truss design for bridge construction was introduced in 1830 by Colonel Stephen H. Long, better known in Georgia for his work in surveying the route for the state-owned Western and Atlantic Railroad running between Atlanta and Chattanooga. It is thus understandable that this bridge construction type was first designed for railroad use.
The actual builder of White Oak Creek Covered Bridge was probably Horace King, a slave born in 1807 in South Carolina. He was given his freedom in 1848, but continued to work for his former master, John Godwin, a contractor. King built a bridge across the Pee Dee River in South Carolina before moving with Godwin to Gerard, Alabama. He built his first bridge across the Chattahoochee at Columbus and spent much time in West Georgia building numerous other bridges. He moved c. 1874 to the LaGrange, Georgia area where he continued contracting and building bridges. His three sons John, Marshall, and Washington followed his trade.
The White Oak Creek Covered Bridge is of the Long truss type. Built in the late nineteenth century probably by Horace King, it is a panel type with crossed single members between posts marking a series of kingposts with counter braces. This single-span bridge is 80 feet in length.
Looking north (1972)
