Emerts Cove Covered Bridge honors Frederick Emert, who came to the area with his family in 1790 as its first settler. In 1997, under the leadership of Mayor Judy Perryman, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen provided local funds to join state and federal money, and in the spring of 2000 Steve McCarter and Garry Shultz constructed the bridge for the town of Pittman Center as part of its continuing effort to make improvements that further its vision of a quality living environment, quality development, and a tourist-oriented economic base tied to the Great Smoky Mountains. The bridge spans the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River, which the State of Tennessee designated an outstanding national resource water in March 1998, then the only stream outside a national park to receive that designation. Environmental stewardship played a prominent role in achieving this status, and members of Save the Middle Prong devoted time, money, and court action to maintain the integrity of this natural treasure for future generations.