Carrolton Covered Bridge, Carrolton West Virginia
Nineteenth-century maps show an "M. F. Pike", which crosses the Buchannon River at the present location of the Carrollton bridge. The "M. F. Pike" is probably the "Middle Fork Road", which is mentioned in the 1855 and 1857 Annual Reports of the Virginia Board of Public Works. Included in these reports is reference to a contract for a "Buchannon bridge", which was constructed on the Middle Fork Road and spanned the Buchannon River. The bridge's length was the same span (approximately 142 feet) as the present-day Carrollton bridge.
Emmett J. and Daniel O'Brien were the contractors for the Buchannon bridge. A native of Beverly, West Virginia, Emmett had been the masonry contractor for the more famous Philippi bridge. The O'Brien brothers raised the superstructure prior to November 25, 1855, and construction was completed in the fall of 1856.
The original cost of the bridge was $2,928.11 for the 839 perches making up the abutments and $1,691.15 for the superstructure, which was built for $11.875 per linear foot. However, after the contract was awarded, the unforeseen instability of the River banks made it necessary to increase the width of the superstructure by two feet and the length of the wing walls by twenty feet. As a result of these modifications, $200.00 was added to the cost of the superstructure. The total cost of the bridge was $4,819.26.
The Carrollton Covered Bridge is one of the two remaining covered bridges in Barbour County. It is the second longest covered bridge in West Virginia and it is one of three bridges in the state, which display the patented Burr Arch System. Constructed approximately two years following the completion of the Philippi Benegal it stands as the 3rd oldest covered bridge in West Virginia.
Bridge Description
The Carrollton Covered Bridge has a span of 140 feet-9 inches from the centers of the opposite end posts and is 16 feet wide. It has board-and-batten siding and a modern wooden shingle roof. The very plain end gable is attractively decorated by a simple wood cruciform.
The superstructure is an excellent example of a patented Burr Arch type and consists of two multiple kingpost trusses, with panels 10 feet-1 inch long and 11 feet 3 inches high, each sandwiched between a two-piece arch made up of 7s x 15-inch timbers. The ends of the 7 x 9-inch diagonals Fit into the enlarged inclined ends of the 7 x 12-inch verticles. Approximately 7 feet below the bottom chord, which is composed of two-7 x 12 3/4 inch members, the ends of the arches rest on the abutments, and the distance from the center line of the arch to the bottom of the two-7 x 8-inch members making up the top chord is 3 feet. One of the noteworthy features of the trusses are the massive center posts, which are tapered to a minimum width of eight inches and flare out at the top to a maximum width of 18 inches.
In 1962 the bridge was deemed unsafe for travel. Local community efforts helped to save the bridge and bring about the bridge's subsequent, renovation. In 1963 the timber deck was replaced by a 150 foot three-span concrete deck with a 12-foot roadway and a 3-foot sidewalk. Modifications were made to the abutments and two concrete piers were added in order to provide adequate support for the deck.
End and upstream side elevation looking north (1979)
