JULY 2000 V.64, N. 7 

      I crossed a covered bridge for the first time more than 35 years ago. It was dark and cool, and I can still hear the rattling sound of loose boards on the deck. My mom loved covered bridges, and on Sunday afternoons my dad would sometimes drive miles out of his way just to cross one.

      Covered bridges first appeared on the American scene in the 1800s. Some suggest their purpose was to obstruct the view of the water below so horses would easily cross the bridge. A more practical explanation is that the "cover" protected the bridge itself and prolonged the life of the wooden building materials. And to anyone who has ever been caught on the road in a raging blizzard or thunderstorm, perhaps covered bridges were meant to serve as a safe haven from a sometimes harsh environment.

      Whatever their function, covered bridges have come to represent rural Americana, icons of days gone by when life was simpler. And if the inherent appeal of covered bridges wasn't enough, the publication of The Bridges of Madison County in 1992 skyrocketed them to fame. Robert Kincaid, the fictional National Geographic photographer, made covered bridges the backdrop to one of great romances of our time. Middle-aged women and more than a few men began to look at covered bridges in a whole new light.

      My own fascination with covered bridges dates back to the 1970s. I photographed quite a few for a college art class and discovered that these bridges also provided refuge for a variety of wildlife. In some, I found bats roosting in the rafters. In others, eastern phoebes nested just under the protection of the roof. At several, I found colonies of barn and cliff swallows attached to the superstructure beneath the bridge. And once I watched from afar as a deer took to the safety of a bridge to escape a ferocious thunderstorm.

      Over the years, countless covered bridges crossed the streams and rivers of West Virginia, but surprisingly, the total number is unknown. By the 1950s, 54 remained. Today there are 17. The most famous spans 285 feet across the Tygart Valley River on U.S. 250 in Philippi. The Philippi bridge is the oldest one left in West Virginia. It was originally built in 1852 at a cost of $2,181.24. In 1989 fire nearly destroyed the Philippi bridge. Two years later, after being restored, it reopened.

      The distribution of the state's remaining covered bridges is curious. Nine are concentrated in the north-central counties, and none is located in the northern or eastern panhandles. Only five are south of Charleston. If you'd like to visit some of these historic bridges, the West Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer lists them all, and each is clearly labeled on the easy-to-use maps.

      Historic and picturesque as they might be, covered bridges eventually outlived their usefulness. Most that remain live on primarily as historic landmarks. They became obsolete because the weight of trains and large trucks was simply too great to be supported by a wooden bridge. Stronger bridges made of iron and steel didn't require a protective cover and could be built faster and cheaper.

      As you peruse the accompanying photos of all of West Virginia's remaining covered bridges, whisk yourself back in time to a simpler world where one of the most reassuring sounds was the "clop, clop, clop" of horseshoes on a wooden deck.

      Dr. Scott Shalaway is a certified wildlife biologist and freelance writer. He lives in Marshall County with his wife Linda and daughters Nora and Emma.

The historic Carrollton Bridge in Barbour County is a reminder of the state's heritage.
Arnout Hyde Jr.