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1 sTiy=ey 1 0. Kenneth RobZnson)

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DEPARTMENT OF THE P A R K

C O U N T Y

REGISTER OF PLACES - NPS USE

E N T R Y D A T Et ,all applicable .

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Bridge

. Rou te 720 over North Fork of the of intersection of Route 720 Route

vic in i ty ) Seventh CODE

Virginia 51 . . . , .... , . . . .. , . .

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Agricultural Park

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Department Highways and

Broad Stree t . . 09 T O W N .

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1401 East Broad Street O R

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(I H i s Landmarks

S U R V E Y

V i r g i n i a a

Governor OH

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6 . Representation in E x i 3 t i n ~ Survevs

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SENVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER O F HISTORIC PLACES

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Contimtion Slmef) {, 1

(2) Virginia Department of ~ i ~ h w a ~ s Survey 1970 State

Virginia Department o f Highways and Transportation 1401 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia Code:51

. STATE

Virginia

Shenandoah FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRV NUUBIR D A T E

I

G P O 9 2 1 . 7 2 4

( N m k . I 1 -,,I..)

The Meems Bottom Bridge is a 204-foot s ing le span Burr Truss covered bridge spanning the North Fork of the Shenandoah River south of the town of Mount Jackson. It survives i n a good s t a t e of repa i r and is used da i ly by local t r a f f i c . Erected 1893-1894, the bridge i s supported by massive stone abut- ments tha t fan out from the bridge on each s ide of the r i ve r and which ex- tend a f u l l ten f e e t below the bed of the r i ve r . The rectangular c u t lime- stone blocks were quarried local ly . The br idge 's timbers of rough, sawn pine were cu t and fashioned on Strathmore, the farm of General G. S. Meems, accompanied Stonewall Jackson i n the West Virginia campaign of 1861-1862. The bridge's Burr Truss o r Kingspost Arch form of construction cons is t s of two wood arches spanning the 204-foot distance between the abutments and joining them eight f ee t below the top of the stonework. Both arches a r e composed of three, 7" x 15" members, bolted-together-by three-quarter-inch diameter bo l t s t o a c t a s a s ing le member. The bol t s a r e placed a t each point of the arches where they in t e r sec t a ve r t i ca l , horizontal o r l a t e r a l v e r t i c a l bracing member.

The v e r t i c a l t russ supports a r e 8" x 10" members. A l l diagonal t ru s s mem- bers a r e 7" x 9" members. m e horizontal roof members tha t span between the arches a r e 8" x 10" members. The horizontal bottom chord t h a t supports the roadway i s composed of two 7" x 12" beams. The 4" x 14" f loor beams tha t span between the arches on top of the bottom chord once supported the or ig ina l road bed. In 1937, strengthening of the bridge was accomplished with seven-inch s t e e l I-beams being ins ta l led pa ra l l e l with the bottom chords extending the length of the s t ructure . A new roadway surface was then placed over the or ig ina l . Steel I-beams were a l s o i n s t a l l e d pa ra l l e l to the or ig ina l f loor beams r e s t i ng adjacent t o the v e r t i c a l t r u s s members below the road bed.

The top chords run perpendicular to the v e r t i c a l t russ members the length of the s t ruc tu re a t the top of the walls. Each top chord is composed of two 7" x 10" members bolted t o the v e r t i c a l members s i tua ted between them.

The arches a r e t i ed together by l a t e r a l bracing members above the wal ls and below the roadbed tha t cross between the v e r t i c a l members and b o l t i n to the

C O N D I T ~ N

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STATEMENT OF 91GNIPIE INCE

Meems Bottom Bridge, a 204-foot s ing le span covered bridge is the longest of the remaining covered bridges i n the Commonwealth. The bridge i s noted f o r the high qua l i ty of both its timber and masonry construction, a s wel l a s fo r i ts unusually scenic s e t t i ng .

0 The bridge is of the Burr Truss o r Kingspost Arch construction patented i n - 1817 by Theodore Burr, brother of Aaron Burr, and was constructed i n 1894

I- under the supervision of F. W. Wisler. The da te is inscribed on the s tone

U facing of the e a s t abutment.

The bridge replaces two e a r l i e r s t ruc tures , the f i r s t was burned i n 1862 by General Stonewall Jackson ahead of General Freemont before the b a t t l e of Harrisonburg. The second bridge succumbed to the high waters of a flood i n 1870 t h a t reportedly destroyed every bridge across the Shenandoah River.

JY

NPS Fom 169OO-a

United States Department of the Interlor National Park Service

NATIONAL REGISTER OF WlSTORlC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Maems Bottom Covered Bridge, #085-6103

Shenandoah County, Virginia Section 7 & 8 Page 1

7 & 8. Architectural Description and Siqnificance Statement:

There are several inaccuracies throughout both section 7 and section 8, which have ken pointed out by local historian D. Warriek Burruss II. First, General G.S. Meems's farm. incorrectly spelled "Strathmore," should in fact be spelled "Strathrnoor." Second, the first bridge at this location was constructed in 1867-1 868. The bndge which was burned by General Jackson in 1862 was located in the norfhern pafl of Meerns Bottoms on the Old Valley Turnpike. Third, the current bridge is the fourth to have been built on the location, not the third as previously stated. The first was destrayed by a flood in March, 18711. A second bndge was in place by 1871. This was washed away by a flood in November, 4877. The third bridge on this location was constructed in 1878, and was replaced in 1894 by the fourth, currently standing bridge.

The Meems Bottom Covered Bridge was originally listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register on April 15, 1975, and in the National Register of Historic Places an June 10, 1975. The original mapping is UTM reference point 17, J03830€, 4288180N and is shown an the attach.ed copy of the original New Market quadrangle map section.

-- - - . . - . - - 9 . MAJOR BIBLICJCRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Allen , Richard Saunders. Covered Bridges of the Middle A.t lant ic S t a t e s . Bra t t l eboro , V t . : Stephen Green Press , 1959.

Condit, Carl W. American Building Ar t . New York: Oxford Un ive r s i ty P r e s s , 1960.

Wayland, John W. The His tory of Shenandoah County, Virg in ia . S t r a sburg , V Shenandoah Publ i sh ing House, Inc. , 1969.

- I t . FORM PREPARE0 BY

NLMF A W D -0 I L E +-- I I , #

-4 - 0

I

V)

V i r ~ i n i a l i i s t o r i c Landmarks C o m i s s i o ~ S t a f f

I Richmond 112. STATE LIAISON OFFICER & ~ ~ c ~ ~ ~ b I

in the Nattonal Register and certify that i t has been

evaluated ~ccordirq to the c-iteria and procehres set

O R O A N i Z A T I O N

V i r g i n i a H i s t o r i c Landmarks Cormnission

Vi rg in ia 1 51

1 NATIONAL REGISTER VER1FICATlOM

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the NP- tional Hxstoric Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law

89.665). 1 hereby nominate this pmperty for i n c l u ~ i a n

forth by t l l a National Park S-xce. The recommended ~ i , . ~ t ~ ~ , oftics of i rcho0logy end H1.loris Pr-.-rsett-

level uf s imif icance of this nomination is:

D A T E

A p r i l 1975

I hereby certify that this property i s included in the

National 0 State a Local O I1

STREET A N 0 NGUOFR:

221 Governor S t r e e t C I T Y O R TOWN. S T A T E COOS

J 1

Dl*,

Name ATTEST: Juni us W.

v i r g i n # H i s t o r i c Landmarks C o m i s s i o n Tltle ;/

A P 2 3. 5 '975 Date

Keeper of The N a t r ~ s l Register

Date - G P O 831.85