Potter's Covered Bridge, Noblesville Indiana

Date added: January 14, 2024

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Potter's Covered Bridge is one of only 22 remaining Howe Truss covered bridges in Indiana, and it is the ninth oldest example in the state. Potter's Covered Bridge is the only remaining wooden covered span in Hamilton County. From 1871 until well into the 1900s, it provided an important transportation link between agricultural areas of Hamilton County and the primary local market, Noblesville.

The Howe Truss, as represented in Potter's Bridge, was a dramatic improvement over the Long Truss. William Howe borrowed the concept of using diagonal members from both the Long and Town Trusses. Howe improved the design by introducing vertical iron rods which both strengthened and lightened the truss. The Howe Truss, patented in 1840, has often been cited as a significant step towards all-metal bridge design. Howe produced several variations on his truss invention. Potter's Bridge uses the usual type of Howe Truss with two parallel diagonals and paired iron verticals. The Howe Truss was the second most common wooden bridge type in Indiana. More common, and today, more plentiful is the Burr Truss (patented in 1817). Hamilton County once had at least 7 covered bridges, 5 of which were Howe Truss spans. Local carpenter and contractor Josiah Durfee built these 5 spans.

Potter's Bridge is now the only example of Durfee & Company's bridge contracts. Durfee also built the Hamilton County Sheriff's House and Jail in 1876. Durfee is thought to have imitated the widely-copied Howe Truss design rather than assembling trusses which were pre-cut (many Indiana bridges were assembled from truss "kits" produced by out-of-state bridge companies).

The bridge quickly became an important transportation link to Noblesville. Founded in 1823, Noblesville was the county seat and primary settlement in the county. The west fork of the White River isolated Noblesville from northern and western townships. Potter's Bridge provided a direct route into town from the north. Noblesville developed into an important commercial center, fueled by the advent of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad in 1851 and the natural gas boom of the late 1880s and 1890s. Local farmers found a ready market for produce and dairy products at the county seat and Potter's Bridge provided access to that market regardless of the season. The bridge crossed White River at Potter's Ford. William A. Potter (1838-1873) and his wife Sarah Elizabeth (daughter of Richard F. Lytle, who deeded her the land) was a farmer there.

The Hamilton County Commissioners' Record of 19 October 1870 states that "(We have) contracted the bridge to have two stone abutments, one stone pier, double track, pine chords, pine shingles, 246 feet in length at the cost of $13,000, 1/3 paid as the work progresses, 1/3 1^st of April next, 1/3 1^st of April 1872, to be completed on or before the 1^st day of June next, and a bond filed for $5,000 for faithful performance of the contract."

The project was accepted by the County Commissioners on 12 April 1871 with "the entire work being found fully up to the specifications in all its parts and contract, and discharged for the liabilities under the bond and contract. The bridge is as good a job of work as the best in the county." $316.66 was allotted for extras.

In 1938, Potter's Covered Bridge was rededicated. Local farmers and citizens had protested the proposed closing of the bridge by the state, and convinced county officials to repair the bridge and maintain it as a historic landmark.

Closed to vehicular traffic after a nearby concrete bridge was erected in 1971, Potter's Bridge is maintained as a pedestrian walkway.

Bridge Description

Potter's Covered Bridge, built in 1871, is located two miles north of Noblesville (Hamilton County), Indiana. It spans the West Fork of the White River in a north-south direction. The bridge sits in a suburban/rural wooded area about three miles from the presumed location of the first log bridge across White River, buiit by the Delaware Indians.

The Howe Truss bridge has overall dimensions of 260' in length, 22' in width, and 20' in height (to the apex of the gable). The road bed width is 18'. The interior height (from deck to top of X-braces) is 13'. The structure rests on limestone abutments with wing walls at either end and, in the center, a coursed, rough-faced limestone pier. Exterior walls are clad in vertical board siding. The siding does not reach the eaves, leaving an open clerestory space across both walls. Gable ends have vertical wood siding.

The deck of the bridge consists of 3" planking resting on 4" by 12" sleepers of oak. Massive joists and X-shaped braces span between the lower chords. Using the typical Howe Truss, Potter's Bridge has lower chords consisting of four 5" by 12" members joined by iron bolts with spacing blocks. The upper chord is formed of two 5" by 10"s with a 10" by 10" member sandwiched in the middle, joined without spacing by bolts. The upper chord appears to be of oak. The characteristic X-shaped bracing is formed by two 8" by 7" members slanting in one direction and a single 6" by 6" member slanting diagonally in the opposite direction sandwiched between these.

The bridge is built of two structurally independent spans meeting at the central pier. To increase rigidity, the slant direction of the parallel members varies every 65'. Starting from the south portal, the paired timbers slant to the north, then to the south, then again to the north, and finally once again to the south. The 65' mark falls at the center of each span, where the compression load would be the greatest. 4" by 6" X-shaped braces and iron bars link the upper chords. All truss members are Michigan pine. Heavy vertical iron bars (1 1/2" diameter) bolted into the upper and lower chords provide tension support.

Typical of a Howe Truss bridge, both north and south portals cantilever forward on triangular braces. There is no ornamentation on the portals. The gable roof has rafters nailed at the ridge line with no intermediate support. Wood shingles are visible underneath the black asphalt shingle roof.

Throughout its years of continuous use by vehicular traffic, Potter's Bridge has needed several major rehabilitations. In 1937, the State of Indiana planned to abandon the bridge, but area farmers protested. Hamilton County repaired the bridge. The stone abutments were rebuilt. The siding and roofing were replaced. The decking supports (joists and sleepers) were replaced or, in some cases, braced by sistering in new lumber. Timbers from the nearby Strawtown Covered Bridge, a nearly identical Howe Truss span, were used to replace defective members. The Strawtown Bridge had been demolished in 1935. A new cornerstone commemorating the rehabilitation was installed. In 1938, the bridge was rededicated.

In 1959, Vernon & Waugh Construction Company of Cicero, Indiana was hired to shore up the bridge. Three layers of flooring were removed. Some of the sleepers were replaced with oak brought from southeastern Ohio. Some siding was repaired or replaced, and the roof was reshingled. Also, at this time, the original cornerstone was found. It had fallen from the abutment on the south end into the river bank. Both the 1871 and 1937 cornerstones were set into fieldstone piers flanking the south portal.

After 100 years of service, Potter's Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1971, and a new concrete bridge was erected to carry State Route 37A across White River. Now owned by the county and maintained by the parks department, the bridge was repaired once again in 1980. At that time, it received a fresh coat of paint, concrete work on the abutments to prevent spreading, bollards in front of both portals, and security lighting.