Covered Garden Bridges Have A
Long Lifespan
For the past two centuries garden bridges, especially covered
bridges have sparked fascination, imagination, and admiration across
the nation. Once simply necessary modes of crossing waterways, they
have ascended to legendary status.
Nothing stirs up nostalgia like
these bearers of bygone bucolic bliss.
Romanticized and idolized, they
symbolize a more innocent, idyllic time, to which we all wish we
could somehow return, even if we were never really there. As is the
case with any icon, the covered bridge is replete with myth and
mystery. In fact, ever since the first one appeared, speculation has
been rampant about the reason for covering bridges.
Some people said that it was to
make them resemble barns, which would put animals at ease while
crossing them. Others thought that it was to keep horses from being
spooked by the water’s rushing current, and its gleaming, bouncing
flashes of sunlight.
Then, there were those who maintained, perhaps
facetiously, that the bridges were covered to keep unsuspecting travelers from seeing what kind of town they were approaching, until
it was too late to turn back.
One bit of conjecture was that
the coverings were meant to keep snow off the bridges; however, this
idea is contradicted by the existence of signs designating tolls for
horse-drawn sleighs, as well as some towns’ records of “snowing” the
bridges to facilitate their crossings.
There was also a contingent
that insisted the coverings were put there simply for aesthetics, as
a means of justifying the tolls. Alas and alack! Folklore’s more fun
than fact.
The purely practical reason for
covering the bridges was to preserve their structural integrity, as
constant exposure to the elements, especially moisture, would cause
them to quickly rot. Interestingly, however, the first covered
bridge, the Permanent Bridge, built by Timothy Palmer, over the
Schuylkill River, in Philadelphia, was not designed as such.
Begun
in 1800, it was nearing completion in 1804, when Richard Peters, a
judge from Philadelphia, suggested that a cover would protect its
trusses and prolong its life.
The cover was designed and built,
and the first covered bridge opened for travel on January 1,
1805.Today, while many people think that the era of covered bridges
is long gone, others are discovering that a new generation is just
beginning, at CedarStore.com.
The best part is that, instead of
being scattered throughout the country in obscure locations, these
covered bridges can be customized, in three simple steps, for your
own creek, stream, or walkway.
Unlike the originals, which continue
to disappear, a covered bridge from CedarStore.com, in your choice
of treated pine or Dura-Temp siding, will last indefinitely.
Available with or without
latticed windows, in a variety of sizes and options, it will
instantly bring an air of enchantment and old-fashioned charm to
your landscape.
by Kathy Moran
Visit
www.CedarStore.com today,
and bring back the beauty of yesterday, with a captivating covered
bridge, or browse our website to find other garden bridges and
outdoor furniture. For more information, call 888-293-2339, or
e-mail
contact@cedarstore.com
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