Adams Mill Covered Bridge
 Democrat Township,  Carroll County, Indiana.

Adams Mill Covered Bridge was added to the National register of Historic Places in 1996.  Structure #95001537. Also know as Carroll County Bridge #39;015-553-00955

Covered Bridges   

Because covered bridges were constructed with timber, they were covered to protect them from the elements. They were also covered to strengthen the bridge and to hide flowing water from animals crossing the bridge. They were often the largest covered area in a community and were sometimes used for church meetings, weddings, and political rallies.  Dimensions of all covered bridges were wide enough to let a load of hay through. Two- way traffic was not an important factor.

Indiana's covered bridge era began in the early 1830's, when the National Road first crossed the state. The first Hoosier covered bridge was completed in 1835 in Henry County. It is estimated that between 400 and 500 covered bridges may have existed in Indiana. The American Society of Civil Engineering suggests that perhaps 10,000 covered bridges were built in the United States between 1805 and 1885.  In 1998, there were only ninety-three covered bridges remaining in the Hoosier state. Many bridges have fallen to local neglect, the forces of nature, arson and careless driving.

The Indiana Covered Bridge Society is trying to raise awareness and appreciation of these vanishing structures and their impact on local history.

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