A movie immortalized this iconic Lowcountry bridge. Now it’s being recognized again
The Woods Memorial Bridge, the iconic swing bridge connecting downtown Beaufort with Lady’s Island, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the city and the Historic Beaufort Foundation announced Tuesday.
The city and HBF had worked together for national recognition of the 64-year-old bridge that was immortalized in the 1994 Best Picture, “Forrest Gump.” In one of the most famous scenes, a bearded Tom Hanks as Forrest is shown running across a Mississippi River bridge — a scene that was actually filmed on the Woods Memorial Bridge.
The bridge, which funnels cars to and from Beaufort’s busy historic downtown, already is part of the city’s 306-acre National Historic Landmark District. But Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins says individual recognition will bring additional protections for the bridge and the Historic Landmark District if a new bridge or modifications to the bridge are ever proposed.
The bridge was placed on the list Jan. 6. With the designation, any federal undertaking regarding licensing, permitting or funding requires a mitigating review by the State Historic Preservation Office and also requires public comment.
To be listed on the National Register, a structure must be at least 50 years old and possess some significance in American history and culture. Location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association are considered.
Unlike a drawbridge, which opens vertically, swing-span bridges turn on a central axis to provide clearance for boats and barges. A 200-foot section of the Lady’s Island Bridge, as the Woods Memorial Bridge is known locally, opens 90 degrees, turning on a track with wheels powered by a 20 hp motor.
From the late 18th century through the 1920s, swing bridges were the most popular type of movable bridge, but there are only eight left in South Carolina.
“With so few working swing bridges in the state, we need to protect the ones we have,” Mayor Stephen Murray said in a news release. “The Woods Memorial Bridge adds to Beaufort’s character, distinction and beauty, and the National Register listing recognizes that.”
The Woods Memorial Bridge is now one of five bridges in South Carolina listed on the National Register. The others are in Greenville, and Horry and Richland counties.
The listing recognizes the significance the Woods Bridge plays in helping Beaufort retain its unique sense of place and its association with its maritime and transportation history, Jenkins said.
“We value the six decades of partnership with the City in protecting and promoting the architectural history of Beaufort,” Jenkins said.
The effort to win the designation began in October of 2020. It was a joint project of the City of Beaufort, under the leadership of then-Mayor Billy Keyserling, and the HBF.
Funds were raised through the City’s Pride of Place Program to hire a professional preservation consultant to put together the research and paperwork necessary for the application to the National Register.
Upon learning of the listing, the consultant, Kyle Campbell of Preservation South, LLC, said, “The Woods Memorial Bridge is one of the historic resources in Beaufort that almost everyone interacts with whether they are a resident or a tourist.”
The bridge opened in 1959, replacing a swing bridge built in 1927. Originally known as the Lady’s Island Bridge, it was renamed in 1971 in honor of Richard V. Woods, a local South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper killed in the line of duty.
In 2022, the bridge opened 1,659 times to allow commercial and private vessels to pass through. That ranged from a low in September of 70 to a high in November of 269. In 2021, the bridge averaged 13,700 vehicle crossings a day.
