Ferree Covered Bridge, Rushville Indiana
The Ferree Bridge, built by the firm of Archibald M. Kennedy and Sons, was the first covered bridge ever constructed in Rush County, and it was the oldest existing Kennedy bridge in the state. This bridge was the fourth constructed by the Kennedy family and exhibits many of the features considered to be their trademarks, including the use of the Burr arch truss, and a plain frieze with paired cornice brackets beneath each gable. The square portals on this bridge are atypical but not unknown; historic photographs show identical portals on other Kennedy-built Rush County bridges, including those at Swain's Mill (constructed in 1883 and destroyed by a truck accident in 1959), and Circleville (constructed in 1883 and razed in 1949). The Ferree Bridge, however, was the only bridge with square portals still existing in the county.
The bridge was destroyed by arson on February 13th, 1989.
Bridge Description
The Ferree Covered Bridge, which crosses the Little Flatrock River 1.3 miles east of Milroy, Indiana, is a single-span structure of wood timber construction protected by a gable-roofed enclosure. Erected in 1873 by Archibald M. Kennedy and his son, Emmett, the bridge uses a Burr arch truss system and rests on cut stone abutments. The bridge truss is 87 feet in length; the enclosure is 14 feet longer to provide an additional seven feet of protective overhang at either end. The bridge deck is 14.7 feet wide, and the vertical clearance above the deck is 13.5 feet. The bridge portals are square with articulated corners. Vertical sliding is used in the areas between the portals and the gables; horizontal shiplap siding is employed throughout the rest of the structure. Originally, the bridge featured pilastered corner boards on either side of the portals, but these elements have since been lost. Still in place are the wide, plain frieze boards just below the gables and the ornate cornice brackets used in pairs. The bridge deck and structural system remain in good condition save for one cracked truss member.
