Sandy Creek Covered Bridge, Hillsboro Missouri
The Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is one of only four surviving covered bridges in Missouri.
The erection of Sandy Creek (Covered) Bridge was but a small part of a county-wide building program begun in Jefferson County following the Civil War. Located on the Old Lemay Ferry Road and spanning Sandy Creek, the bridge was a vital link in the new Jefferson County road system.
Many county citizens voiced their demands for improved roads, particularly the fruit and produce growers of northern Jefferson County who had to transport their goods to the St. Louis market often over impassable mud roads. In 1867, a proposition was approved by county voters calling for the construction of two new roads at a cost of $150,000. Work on the Old Lemay Ferry Road did not begin on a large scale until 1869.
In April of 1872, the road was complete as far as Sandy Creek. John H. Morse, president of the House Springs Big River Valley Macadamized and Gravel Road Company, proposed the following specifications for a bridge to the county court on May 28, 1872.
The court accepted the specifications and Morse was awarded the contract for $2,000 on the same day.
Morse followed the construction plans of William Howe of Massachusetts who patented his bridge truss in 1840. Howe revised the popular kingpost truss, which was composed entirely of wood and consisted of an upright center post (kingpost) framed into a triangle by two diagonals and a bottom chord. Howe combined the use of wood and metal in his truss: wood for the diagonal braces, the upper and lower chords and the end posts; iron rods for the kingposts. These vertical iron tension rods were secured to the upper and lower chords using nuts and washers. These could be tightened at any time to remove the saggings of old age. The Howe truss was employed more than any other bridge type because it was economical, simple to construct, and durable.
On July 16th, 1872 the completed bridge was inspected by Judges Yerger and Hamel and they approved the final payment to Morse.
In 1886, high waters destroyed the bridge and the county court ordered it rebuilt in August of 1886.The contract was let to Henry Steffin who rebuilt the bridge using one-half of the original timber for $899.
In 1952, the bridge was restored by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
The covered bridge movement began in the eastern United States and migrated westward in the 1800s with the shifting frontier. Constructed almost entirely of wood using simple tools, these bridges proved very economical and practical in the forested areas of the United States. The bridges opened up easier lines of transportation and communication in states where streams and rivers were prevalent.
Pioneer builders covered the bridges with a roof and siding just as they covered their houses and barns. The roof protected the timber construction from extremes in temperature and kept the bridge floor free from the elements. Many bridges had a barn-like appearance to coax skittish horses and farm animals across rushing streams and rivers.
Thousands of covered bridges were built in the United States, mainly during the 1800's, but floods, fire, vandalism, and age have destroyed the majority of them.
The Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is owned and maintained by the Missouri State Park Board. The other three surviving bridges are: Union Covered Bridge in Monroe County, Locust Creek Covered Bridge in Linn County, and Burfordville Covered Bridge in Cape Girardeau County.
Bridge Description
Sandy Creek Covered Bridge, originally constructed in 1872, is located on the Old Lemay Ferry Road, five miles north of Hillsboro, Missouri. The bridge is approximately 75'10" long and 18'10" wide, with the long axis oriented northeast-southwest. The bridge was restored in 1952 by the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
It is supported by two concrete abutments at either end and by concrete piers in the creek bed.
The rectangular structure covering the bridge floor is constructed primarily of white pine lumber. The sides are of vertical pine panels, painted red and secured to the trusses with battons. Replacement panels remain unpainted and may be easily distinguished from the original.
The original material of the ridge roof has been replaced with galvanized, corrugated metal. The overhang protects ventilation openings located near the upper chord of the side walls. At either end are spacious barn portals. The portals are square except for the upper corners where the siding extends down to cover diagonal bracing members.
Inside the bridge, there are no enclosures, and the details of the Howe truss are visible. The vertical iron tension rods measure 1½ inches in diameter and the diagonal structural members which form an "X" are approximately 6 inches square in section. The trusses are held in the vertical position by crossbracing overhead and beneath the bridge floor. The flooring is of pressure-treated 2 x 4's laid crosswise.
View from the east to the west of the rectangular structure which covers the bridge floor (1970)
View from the northeast to the southeast. View through the bridge showing both barn portal openings and the curve in the road (1970)
View from the west to the east. Interior view showing details of Howe truss (1970)
