Oldtown Covered Bridge, Oldtown Kentucky
One of the two covered bridges in Greenup County, Oldtown is about 9 miles south of Greenbo Lake State Park, with easy access by way of Kentucky Route 1.
Local interest in the bridge is high with a 1970s restoration carried out by the Green-Thumb Men, a community service organization of men over 55 years old. Materials were supplied by the county government.
At one time Kentucky had hundreds of covered bridges spanning her rivers. Just prior to World War II, sixty-five were still standing. By 1952, the numbers had shrunk to thirty-nine. Now only sixteen remain. These sixteen, which represent a variety of structural types, are concentrated in the central and northeast sections of the state in the small communities or rural areas of the state.
Many reasons have been offered to explain the construction of covered bridges in Kentucky during the 19th century. The road across the bridges were kept dry and free of snow in winter. Most important, however, was the protection the covering over the bridges provided against the deterioration of the wood. It permitted the timbered trusses and braces to season properly and kept water out of the joints. The life of the bridge was, therefore, significantly prolonged, averaging, generally seven to eight times that of one left uncovered.
Greenup County's Oldtown Covered Bridge crosses the Little Sandy River on Frazer Branch Road 750 east of Kentucky Highway l. This bridge, built on Burr's patented design, extends 178 feet in two spans. Burr's truss has served well, as this bridge has withstood two floods in 1913 and 1937. Still serving the community of Frasure, it has a posted limit of 4 tons.
The timbered structure has been restored much to its original appearance, replacing its second tin roof and wooden siding with over 10,000 shingles and boards rived from straight-grained oak. No finish is applied as weathering forms a natural protective surface. The approaches to the bridge have also been improved and the area surrounding the bridge has been cleared.
The Oldtown Covered Bridge in Greenup County is 186 feet in length, according to Kentucky Department of Transportation measurements.
