Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge

Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge spans approximately 96 feet (29 meters) across Chiques Creek with a double Burr arch truss structure, red wooden walls, and white entrance sections. The deck width accommodates local traffic with a clear passage of about 13 feet (4 meters) between the townships.

The original bridge was built in 1857 by John Carpenter but was destroyed by a natural event and reconstructed in 1874 by Elias McMellen. The rebuilt structure still carries traffic across Chiques Creek and serves the same communities today.

The structure takes its name from the nearby Kauffman's Distillery Mill, which operated in the late 1800s and shaped local growth. Walking across it today, you can sense the connection to the industrial past that once defined this area.

The bridge is open to local traffic during daylight hours and provides two-way passage across the creek for vehicles and pedestrians. When visiting, proceed slowly to respect the historic wooden structure and watch for any maintenance work in progress.

Over its lifetime, the structure has been known by several different names including Big Chiques #1, Whiskey Distillery Bridge, and Sporting Hill Covered Bridge. These changing designations reveal how local people understood and valued the crossing at different moments in time.