Horton Mill Covered Bridge
5 mi. (8 km) N of Oneonta on Rte. 3, Oneonta, ALThe Horton Mill Covered Bridge is the highest above water in the United States. It is one of only sixteen remaining in Alabama out of 46 which were standing in 1958. In the 1930s, when the bridge was built, there were several hundred of these vanishing rustic structures in Alabama.
The present covered bridge is a replacement of the one 3/4 mile downstream built in 1895 by T. M. Horton to make his mill complex more accessible. Horton had built two dams to provide water power for com and flour mills, a cotton gin, and a sawmill. He also had a blacksmith shop, a general merchandise store, and a woodworking shop. This mill complex covered about five acres of the Horton farm.
Covered bridges were first built in the late eighteenth century in the northeastern United States. The bridges were covered chiefly to protect the wooden flooring so they would have to be replaced less often. The covering also prevented easily frightened horses from seeing the rushing water beneath them and provided a haven for weary travelers.
In addition to filling a vital role in transportation, many covered bridges were toll bridges, providing additional revenue for an area.
The local covered bridge also doubled as a community social center. It was an ideal gathering place for political discussions, gossip, or a friendly game of checkers. The beams and rafters were perfect substitutes for the modern "jungle gyms" to occupy the rambunctious children while their parents visited.
The covered bridge often provided a drill floor for the local militia. Even revival meetings were held at the bridges, and the sidewalls were often plastered with local advertisements. For the romantically inclined, the bridges seemed designed for courting; they were so popular as "sparking" places that they earned the nickname "kissing bridges."
The Town type truss, used on the Horton Mill Bridge, was promoted by a New Englander, Ithiel Town, who was granted a patent on the truss. His bridges were built in a lattice style with planks forming a webbing, Only vertical forces were used on the abutments. A genuine American Invention, the Town truss made for a durable bridge that could withstand an excessive amount of weight.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.