Howard's Covered Bridge, Covered bridge in Smithonia, Oglethorpe County, United States.
Howard's Covered Bridge is a 168-foot (51 m) Town lattice truss over Big Clouds Creek, built in 1905. Its diagonal planks are fastened with wooden trunnels rather than nails, and the span sits on the road 3 miles southeast of Smithonia.
The bridge was built in 1905 using convict labor, with timber transported via the Smithonia and Dunlap Railroad that connected to the Georgia Railroad. This rail connection made it possible to deliver the materials needed for construction.
The bridge takes its name from a pioneer family who settled nearby in the late 1700s, reflecting early settlement patterns in the region. The name links this crossing to the families who first established themselves here.
The bridge carries County Road 2164 three miles southeast of Smithonia, crossing Big Clouds Creek. The Georgia Historical Society marker stands separately at the south end of Chandler Silver Road, at its junction with Cloud's Creek Road, 1.3 miles west of the Cloud's Creek Baptist Church marker. Approach on unpaved rural roads.
The structure earned National Register of Historic Places status in 1975 and displays a historical marker documenting its construction. This recognition highlights its importance to the region's engineering heritage.
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