Richland Plummer Creek Covered Bridge
Richland Plummer Creek Covered Bridge
The Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge is located 2 1/2 miles south of Bloomfield, Indiana. The bridge was originally built in 1883 by A.M. Kennedy & Sons. This great treasure of Greene County, Indiana is the only one of its kind remaining in the county.
The bridge is constructed with a Burr Arch truss design. A.M. Kennedy was a carpenter and started building bridges as a second business after his marriage in 1853. Kennedy build the Richland-Plummer Creek Covered Bridge as one of the last bridges before he turned his business over to his sons. The contract for the bridge was rewarded to Kennedy and his sons in June of 1883. They had completed the bridge by October of 1883.
The bridge was an important transportation source for the residents of Greene County, Indiana. It connected southern county residents with the county seat of Bloomfield. In the 1900's the road that the covered bridge is located on became State Road 157 connecting county and also allowing easier access to Crane Navel Base. Traffic was moved off the road with the opening of US 231. This took a major strain off of the old bridge.
The bridge was closed in 1957 because of the need for major repairs. In 1967 the bridge restoration began by the companies J. L. Wilson & G. W. Hays. These companies furnished the labor and materials at no cost to the county. The bridge was then closed again in 1990 because of the need for further repairs. Restoration again began of May 12, 1997 by the F.E. Gates Company. Dismantling of the bridge began with the discovery that the bridge was leaning more than expected. The crew then cabled the bridge to support it while leveling the bridge. The bridge was originally to be opened only to foot traffic but plans were changed again allowing vehicles up to 3 tons to cross the bridge. The bridge is expected to last another 75 years without major repairs.
This information was used with permission from the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.
Pictures can be found in our photogallery.
