Covered bridges began appearing across Kentucky in the late 1700s. The siding and roofs protected wooden trusses from weather and extended their life—while giving travelers a sheltered passage across creeks and rivers. Many bridges were destroyed during the Civil War, and others were lost over time to neglect or replacement by modern structures. Thanks to preservation efforts by citizens and public agencies, a number of historic bridges still stand across the Buffalo Trace region today, and Kentucky’s remaining covered bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Source: Visit Maysville — Covered Bridges
Highlights from Kentucky Living (Oct. 11, 2024)
• Kentucky once had hundreds of covered bridges; only 11 remain statewide today, with several in the Buffalo Trace region (Fleming, Mason, Bracken, Robertson, Lewis).
• Many spans were burned during the Civil War; by the 1920s, steel bridges and heavier vehicles made covered bridges largely obsolete.
• Trip tip: Start at the Covered Bridge Museum in Flemingsburg, then visit Goddard, Grange City, and Ringo’s Mill nearby. Notables: Dover (1835) is often cited as Kentucky’s oldest; Johnson Creek was fully restored in 2009; Walcott reconstructed in 2002; several projects by Arnold M. Graton Associates.
Source: Kentucky Living — “Step back in time and see Kentucky’s covered bridges” (Oct. 11, 2024)
Loop order: Augusta → Walcott → Johnson Creek → Goddard → Ringo’s Mill → Grange City → Cabin Creek → Dover → Valley Pike (site) → Augusta
One-click route: Covered Bridges Full Loop - Google Maps
• Year built: 1835
• Length: ≈61–63 ft • Truss: Modified/double queenpost
• Synopsis: Built in 1835 as a toll bridge and widely regarded as Kentucky’s oldest surviving covered bridge. Major rehabilitations in 1926, 1966, and 2001; bypassed by a new alignment in 2005.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | KY History marker | Wikipedia
• Year built: 1824 (reconstructed 2002)
• Length: ≈75 ft • Truss: Combination kingpost & queenpost
• Synopsis: Original bridge dates to 1824; severely damaged by 1997–98 floods and reconstructed in 2002 a short distance from its original location.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | Wikipedia
• Year built: 1874
• Length: ≈114 ft • Truss: Smith Type 3 (arches added c.1912)
• Synopsis: Built by Jacob N. Bower; restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. A classic Smith truss example in Kentucky.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | Wikipedia
• Year built: c. 1864 (uncertain)
• Length: ≈63 ft • Truss: Town lattice truss
• Synopsis: Only surviving Ithiel Town lattice truss in Kentucky. Moved in 1933 to its current site beside Goddard Methodist Church; restored in 2006 and open to light traffic.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | Wikipedia | SAH Archipedia
• Year built: 1867
• Length: ≈86–90 ft • Truss: Burr truss
• Synopsis: Named for the nearby mill community, a picturesque Burr truss. Bypassed in 1968 and listed on the National Register in 1976.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | Wikipedia
• Year built: c. 1865–1870
• Length: 86 ft • Truss: Burr truss
• Synopsis: Closed to traffic in 1968; National Register 1976; stabilization and restoration efforts announced by the state in 2020.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | KYTC release (2020)
• Year built: c. 1867–1873
• Length: 114 ft • Truss: Burr truss
• Synopsis: Dates to the late 1860s–early 1870s (often listed 1867 or 1873). Closed in 1983; underwent major restoration in 2012–2014 and reopened in 2014.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | KY History marker | Wikipedia
• Year built: c. 1864 (dismantled 2018)
• Length: ≈23–35 ft • Truss: Single kingpost
• Synopsis: A very short historic kingpost span over a branch of Lee Creek; privately owned and dismantled after flood damage in 2018. Historic site/marker area remains.
• Links: Visit Maysville page | Wikipedia
Notes: Dates and dimensions vary by source; uncertain values are shown as ranges. Conditions and access can change—use live navigation and respect signage/private property.