Roseman Covered Bridge - Oak Grove Bridge, Winterset Iowa

Date added: December 16, 2023 Categories: Iowa Covered Bridges Town Lattice Truss

In 1877, the Madison County Board of Supervisors voted to build a bridge near this site on Middle River, but for reasons unknown, five years passed before any action was taken in the matter. County crews erected this bridge under the supervision of Harvey P. Jones in 1883.

The bridge carried traffic for nearly a century, until it was bypassed in 1981. It was rehabilitated in 1992 for $152,515. In 1995, the bridge featured prominently in the movie adaptation of Robert James Waller's novel, The Bridges of Madison County.

According to local legend, a county jail escapee who mysteriously eluded capture here in 1892 haunts Roseman Bridge.

Harvey P. Jones (b. 1825) emigrated from Ohio to Madison County, Iowa, in 1845. Jones was foreman of the county bridge crew from 1878 to 1886 and is considered the builder of record for at least fifteen bridges, both timber and iron spans. Jones left Madison County sometime around 1890, when he sold his farm.

Jones's name often appears in county records in association with George K. Foster (1831-1886). Born in Ohio in 1831, Foster lived in California before moving to Madison County in 1867. From 1877 until his death in 1886, Foster was in charge of the substructure work for bridges in Madison County.

Bridge Description

Roseman Bridge proper is a span of 96 feet; including approaches, its length is 230 feet. It is 14 feet wide. Its very slightly pitched roof is covered with tarred metal sheeting. Construction includes the use of Town lattice, a crisscross web of planks on each side, reinforced with a diagonal-horizontal arch to make a sturdy truss, held together with metal bolts throughout.

The basic structure is of native lumber, including plank flooring. Each end of the slightly arched bridge rests on steel tube pilings which have replaced the original wood pilings. The outside cover is six-inch-wide boards, painted red with white trim. A few of these have been replaced.

The bridge maintains its original appearance and setting. It spans Middle River, approximately ten miles southwest of Winterset. There is a posted load limit for the bridge.

The general setting is in a wooded area, with the bridge on a curve in the road. Flooding over the years has created the need for lengthy approaches, which are well maintained, as is the bridge itself.