Covered bridges feel like relics from another time. In fact, they are! The crossings are rare survivors in an age dominated by concrete and steel. Complete with roofs, decking, and siding, the cladding shielded their wooden frames from rain, sun, and rot. Still, progress wasn’t kind to them: as newer roads and heavier vehicles came along, most of the bridges were replaced or simply left to decay1. Of the thousands once built, only about one in ten managed to make it through the twentieth century2. Fortunately, one still crosses the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River in Sevier County, Tennessee.
The Harrisburg covered bridge replaced the similar McNutts Bridge, which was washed away in 1875. Later that year3, Sevier County officials appointed a commission to oversee the construction of a new crossing. Elbert Stephenson Early -a local whose family built a nearby church and several homes- was hired to design the replacement. Early’s crossing was completed in late 18754.
The bridge features a simple design originally known as a “queenpost” truss. That arrangement of hardwood beams allowed the sixty-four-foot span to span a greater difference than a simple “kingpost” truss5. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to prevent the bridge from being on the verge of demolition by the early 1970s6.
In 1972, the Great Smokies Chapter and the Spencer Clack Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution paid for the repair and restoration of the bridge. Part of the work included adding an enormous concrete support near the center of the bridge to shore it up for heavier traffic7.
Today, the Harrisburg Covered Bridge stands as both a survivor and a symbol. It’s one of the last reminders of a time when craftsmanship and necessity went hand in hand! Its weathered oak planks and timber trusses may show their age, but they also tell a story of resilience, community, and care. Today, the crossing still carries travelers over the East Fork of the Little Pigeon River on Old Covered Bridge Road. It proves that not everything old needs to be replaced.
Sources Cited
1 World Guide to Covered Bridges (n.d.). National Center for Wood Transportation Structures. Iowa State University [Ames]. Web. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
2 Ross, R.J. (2012, August). Use of Laser Scanning Technology to Obtain As-Built Records of Historic Covered Bridges. U.S. Department of Agriculture [Washington, D.C.]. Web. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
3 National Register of Historic Places, Harrisburg Covered Bridge, Harrisburg, Sevier County, Indiana, National Register # 75001777.
4 Cahal, S. (2020, October 16). Harrisburg Covered Bridge. Bridges and Tunnels. Web. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
5 (See footnote 3).
6 “Harrisburg Covered Bridge.” Tennessee Lodging Guide. Image Builders, 2010. Web. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
7 See footnote 3).
