Campbell's Covered Bridge

Campbell's Covered Bridge
Carries	123 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd.
Crosses	Beaverdam Creek
Locale	Gowensville, Greenville County, South Carolina
Design	Covered bridge
Total length	38 ft (12 m)
Width	12 ft (3.7 m)
Construction end	1909

Campbell's Covered Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	123 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd., Gowensville, South Carolina
Coordinates:	35°5′9″N 82°15′51″W
Built:	1909
Governing body:	County
NRHP Reference#:	09000483
Added to NRHP:	July 1, 2009

Campbell's Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina, near the small town of Gowensville.

It is the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina. It is located off Pleasant Hill Road, crossing Beaverdam Creek.

It is owned by Greenville County which closed off the bridge to traffic in the early 1980s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 2009.

History

The bridge was built in 1909 by Charles Irwin Willis (1878–1966). It was named after grist mill owner Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836–1920) who built and maintained the Campbell corn mill in the town for many years. Parts of the mill still remain preserved.

The Campbell bridge has been restored twice since being built in 1909. It was first restored in 1964 by the Crescent Garden Club, and again in 1990.

The bridge itself is currently owned by the Greenville County, and was closed off to traffic in the early 1980s. The land surrounding the bridge was owned by Sylvia Pittman until 2005. Plans emerged for a park to be built around the bridge, and in mid 2005 Pittman sold 10 acres (40,000 m²) of surrounding land to the Greenville County, which paid for it. She said, "I had in mind to have a park preserve this to let everyone enjoy this like we have." The US$180,000 in beginnings of the park were covered through state and county grants.

Structure

The Campbell's bridge has dimensions of 38 feet (12 m) in length and 12 feet (3.7 m) in width. It was made in a relatively rare four-span Howe truss design; it features vertical iron rods and diagonal timbers that were made of pine.