Meems Bottom Covered Bridge

Meems Bottom Covered Bridge spans the North Fork of the Shenandoah River near Mount Jackson and, at 204 feet, is Virginia’s longest covered bridge and one of the few still carrying regular traffic. The present single-span wooden Burr arch bridge grew from a crossing repeatedly destroyed by war and floods, replacing earlier bridges lost in 1862, 1870, and 1877. Built in the 1890s for Franklin Hiser Wissler with local timber and stone, it reflects practical engineering and local materials. The site also saw an 1864 Confederate raid. Strengthened, rebuilt after a 1976 fire, and reopened in 1979, it remains a notable nineteenth-century survivor.

Mount Jackson, Virginia · United States