Historic Bridge Awareness Month

   The month of November is Historic Bridge Awareness Month. Old and historic bridges are being destroyed at an alarming rate. I understand that many need to be replaced by new bridges because the older ones are sometimes beyond repair. But I have also seen examples of those same old bridges being saved from destruction and given new life as pedestrian bridges. Rails to Trails and bike paths over those bridges that can no longer take on the weight of vehicular traffic. Please save historic bridges, they are just as important to the history of this country as any of the buildings that are saved from demolition.
   This month I will be posting photos of various historic bridges, some that have been saved, some that have been lost, and some that are in danger.

   ~Harrisburg Covered Bridge~ 400 yards south, this bridge was built over the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River in 1875 by Elbert Stephenson Early, an area resident who owned Newport Mills. The bridge had deteriorated and its loss was threatened until it was restored in 1972 through the joint efforts of the Great Smokies Chapter and the Spencer Clack Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
    This covered bridge, one of the few remaining in the state of Tennessee, was renovated again in 2004. It is located east of the town of Sevierville, north of the Smoky Mountains.