Herns Mill Covered Bridge, Lewisburg West Virginia
The construction of the Herns Mill Covered Bridge was an undertaking of the Greenbrier County Court in 1884. Lewisburg District road commissioners Harvey Handly and J. W. Johnston, who had been ordered in January of the same year to examine the bridge over Millicans Creek near the mill of S. S. Herns, made a report to the court concerning the present condition of the bridge and the probable cost of construction of a new bridge at that location. The same day the court ordered the commissioners to take the necessary action to have the bridge rebuilt. Harvey Handly, J. W. Johnston and John D. Arbuckle, commissioners, on July 9, 1884, submitted an order to the court which stated that the bridge had been completed according to the contract. Drafts were then issued to the unnamed contractors for the sum of $800.00
The Herns Mill Bridge undoubtedly provided convenient access to the S. S. Herns Mill when it was in operation. Although it does not serve the same purpose today, it is still used by local traffic and visited by tourists driving through the area. The bridge is one of the two remaining covered bridges in Greenbrier County and one of many covered bridges built in the 1800s which exhibited the queen-post truss design that was commonly used for spans of 40 to 50 feet.
Building Description
The Herns Mill Covered Bridge has red board-and-batten siding and a roof made of galvanized metal sheeting. It has a span of 53 feet-8 inches and a width of 10 feet-6 inches.
The truss design is a local variation of the queen type, in which the 8 x 11-inch diagonals fit into the ends of the huge 11 x 18-inch bottom chord. The vertical posts divide the truss into six panels, which are 9 feet 5 inches high. The cross-sectional dimensions of the two large center posts and the other five posts are 9 x 12 inches, and 6 x 6 inches, respectively. Double metal tension rods, that run along the sides of the large center posts are bolted to the bottom chord, top chord and diagonal.
In recent times the bridge has been heavily reinforced. Wide flange stringers provide a majority of the support for the asphalt riding surface (which was originally a timber deck) and a concrete pier and steel bent support the bridge at midspan.
Interior looking northwest (1973)
