KY’s ‘kissing bridges’ were once the hubs of rural communities. Explore 3 still standing

Though only 11 remain standing in Kentucky, the state’s covered bridges did more than just connect communities. Indeed, they were as much destinations as they were liminal spaces.

Back in Kentucky’s “less sophisticated days,” as one writer described them, “posters, proclaiming the merits of everything from patent medicine and chewing tobacco, to political candidates and revival meetings were posted or nailed to their portals.

“Some bridges came to be known as ‘kissing bridges’ for obvious reasons,” the observer noted.

In the third installment of our series on Kentucky’s covered bridges, we look at three more, these in Mason, Greenup and Lewis counties.

Be sure to catch the first and second installments if you missed them.

Lee’s Creek Covered Bridge, Mason County

Built in 1835, the Lee’s Creek Bridge is perhaps the oldest covered bridge in Kentucky. It’s also called the Dover bridge for the nearby Mason County community it’s historically served.

According to its National Register of Historic Places inventory form, dated July 1975, the bridge has had two full restorations, the first of which was in 1928 by the Bower family of Flemingsburg. The Bowers were bridge builders and engineers spanning at least three generations.

The second major restoration came later in 1966 after a tornado whipped through the area. That project was carried out by the Kentucky Department of Highways and cost about $16,000.

Originally a toll bridge, the Lee’s Creek Covered Bridge served nearby Dover up until at least the mid-1970s, if the NRHP document is any guide.

The bridge itself can be found about 700 feet off Kentucky Route No. 8 on Tuckahoe Road.

“The bridge appears to be in good condition,” an observer wrote on the bridge’s NRHP nomination form, dated July 11, 1975.

Built in the “queen post” style, with two upright, supportive trusses rather than the branching king post design, the bridge crosses Lee’s Creeks in a single span of about 60 feet. Asphalt pavement extends along its length with reinforced concrete replacing its original, old stone abutments, the form notes.

Bridge coordinates: 38°44′59″N 83°52′44″W

Distance from Lexington: About an hour and 20 minutes

Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge, Greenup County

Straddling Tygart’s Creek, several miles south of where the creek joins with the Ohio River at the northeastern tip of Kentucky, the Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge hasn’t received a coat of paint since its construction in about 1855 or 1856.

As a result, the bridge “has since weathered to its present handsome silver-gray appearance,” according to its nomination form to the National Register of Historic Places, dated July 11, 1975.

The bridge is located just off Kentucky Route No. 7 in Greenup County, County Road 2125.

The single span, reaching 195 feet in length, is of the truss design by Col. Stephen H. Long, the historical engineer and inventor known for developing steam locomotives.

Up to the mid-1970s, it could hold as much as 5 tons and was still open to vehicles.

According to its record with the NRHP, the bridge got its start when B.F. and Pramley Bennett commissioned it to be built over Tygart’s Creek for easy access to their mill, which they ran before the American Civil War broke out.

Once it did, the Bennett brothers hid guns high in the 800-foot-tall hills to the east and west in order to secure their investment from destruction.

At 195 feet in length, the Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge is the longest single-spanner still standing in Kentucky.

Bridge coordinates: 38°37′50″N 82°55′37″W

Distance from Lexington: About two hours

Cabin Creek Covered Bridge, Lewis County

Cabin Creek is said to take its name from a pioneer’s log cabin, built by one of the first settlers in the area.

“About 75 yards from the creek and covered bridge, it (the cabin) forms a picturesque setting of backwoods Kentucky,” an observer wrote on the bridge’s National Register of Historic Places nomination form dated July, 11 1975.

The Cabin Creek Covered Bridge is located just 4.5 miles northwest of Tollesboro on Kentucky Highway 984, roughly a dozen miles from the Lewis-Fleming County line.

Its origins are muddled, with conflicting construction dates of 1867 and 1875. The name of its builder has been lost to time.

Sometime in the early 20th century, the form suggested 1914, the bridge underwent a restoration by Louis Bower, the son of Jacob Bower.

At that time, Louis Bower fortified the bridge by adding an arch to each side, but by the mid-1970s, rot was eating away at the skews holding one of the arches, an observer wrote.

Even at that time, the writer noted that the bridge “withstands heavy traffic daily,” with a loading rating of 4 tons.

Bridge coordinates: 38°37′13″N 83°37′16″W

Distance from Lexington: About an hour and a half

About this series

Kentucky is home to 11 covered bridges that remain standing today, and we’re documenting them.

If you have an memory, older photographs or an experience to share about the history of any of the remaining covered bridges, we welcome you to email ask@herald-leader.com. We may include your tips in our stories.

Do you have a question about Kentucky’s history for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky Form or email ask@herald-leader.com.