This Covered Bridge in GA was destroyed by arson in 1977
Steele's Covered Bridge, Dawsonville Georgia
Steele's Covered Bridge was constructed in 1897 under the supervision of Jack Chumley who was then the Dawson County overseer of the road that crossed over this bridge. The bridge was named for Wash Steele who owned the land upstream from the bridge. Lumber for this bridge was cut on Steele's land and Jack Chumley's land, downstream from the bridge. The lumber was sawn by Jack Chumley at his mill nearby and his sons, William and Joe Chumley, hauled the timbers to the bridge site by wagon. John Henry Chumley, a boy of 11 years at the time and a brother of William and Joe Chumley, recalled vividly the construction of this bridge. At the age of 88, he remembered clearly the names of the Rev. R. S. Ellenburg, John Cowart, Lumn Mann, Beech Phyfe, and Sam Reed, all local carpenters who helped to build this bridge. Mr. Chumley retired after 32 years as a forester for the Georgia Marble Company, former owner of the land adjoining the bridge, and he lived those years in sight of this bridge.
An earlier bridge was located at this site. It was built just a few feet above the normal level of Amicalola Creek and was often damaged or made impassable due to high water. It was destroyed by flood waters just before the construction of the current bridge. The earlier bridge was not covered. The concrete-filled steel cylinders supporting the present bridge rest on the foundations of rock that supported the earlier bridge. Steele's Bridge was raised ten feet higher as a protection against flooding waters.
Steele's Covered Bridge is one of 22 covered bridges remaining in Georgia and one of only 14 still in use. Thirteen of Georgia's remaining covered bridges are built of the Town Lattice design and the Steele's Bridge is one of these. The Town Truss was designed and patented in 1820 by Ithiel Town, an architect of New Haven, Connecticut. Town realized the need for a covered bridge truss that could be quickly built by a carpenter and his was the first truly American design. The design consists of a web of light planks crisscrossed at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees, like a lattice, and fastened together with wooden pins or trunnels at each intersection. It is the most popular design for covered bridges though the number still standing grows less each year.
This bridge was destroyed by arson in June 1977.
Bridge Description
Steele's Covered Bridge spans Amicalola Creek in Dawson County, Georgia, about seven miles northwest of Dawsonville, on State Route S2275, an unpaved road. The bridge is completely covered and extends 84½ feet with one span. Each end of the bridge has an uncovered approach decked with wood resting on 8" steel I beams installed in the 1950's to replace wooden timbers. The approach on the north end is 20 feet long and on the south end, 15 feet long. The total length of the bridge and approaches is 119½ feet. The bridge is 14½ feet wide overall, and 17½ feet high from the bottom of the lower chord to the ridge line of the roof. The truss on each side is 134 feet high. Vehicle clearance is 11 feet.
Construction is of the Town Lattice type made of rough-sawn pine, oak and poplar woods. The timbers are not as heavy as usually found in bridges of this design in Georgia. They are only two inches thick.
The diagonals are 2 x 10 inches in size, with two pins at each intersection, and the chords are made of 2 x 12-inch timbers, doubled. There are two lower chords and one upper chord. The upper chord being made of oak and poplar timbers only two inches thick, even though doubled, shows signs of weakening. This condition is also attributed to the use of short timbers in the chord. Originally, this bridge had a board roof. During the 1950s, the board roof was replaced by a roof of metal.
The foundation of this bridge is unique for Georgia. Each end is supported by two concrete-filled steel cylinders two feet in diameter and two feet high. These cylinders rest on a rock foundation that supported an earlier bridge. The approaches rest on rock abutments.
The sides are covered with boards and batten. The floor is decked with 2 x 8-inch boards and longitudinal runners, of the same size beards, are laid on top to provide a smoother surface for traffic. The floor sills are made of 4 x 10 inch timbers with joists of 3 x 6 inch timbers laid on top to support the floor.
Steele's Covered Bridge is listed as No. 10-42-02 in the "World Guide to Covered Bridges," published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc., 1965 edition.