Posted on 05/24/2008 2:37:38 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob
Have you ever seen a bridge pull? There are bridge pulls that are parts of furniture, but I mean the old-fashioned kind. The ones involving a team of oxen, a covered wooden bridge, and a stream. There may not have been one of those anywhere in the US in the last century. And there may not be another one, ever, after the one I saw this morning in Highlands, North Carolina.
In 1805, give or take a few years, the Bagley Covered Bridge was constructed in New Hampshire. Among the notables who crossed its ancient timbers were the Marquis de Lafayette and President Teddy Roosevelt. But in 1966 the town council voted to tear it down, because it was deteriorated and “wasn’t worth the money to repair it.”
A family of “bridge wrights” (people who fashion bridges) bid $1 for the remains of that bridge, bought it, and stored its remaining parts. To that, Arnold Graton’s family added hand-hewn beams from his parents’ house. Then, two years ago, supporters of the Bascom Center for Fine Arts in Highlands, North Carolina, decided that the main entrance to their new complex should be a covered wooden bridge. This is in keeping with the architecture of the Bascom, which used two ancient giant barns as its heart, one on the site and the other taken apart and brought to the site.
There is one family left in the United States who know how to build and assemble a covered wooden bridge. For those who’ve never seen the architecture of such a bridge, they use no nails or steel. They are put together entirely with two-inch wooden pegs. And as long as the roof is kept in good repair, the wooden floor of the bridge will outlast an exposed bridge deck of concrete or asphalt.
The way that such a bridge is put in place is as unique as its architecture. The bridge is constructed on one side of the stream. Wooden rails with temporary supports are put in place in the stream. Then the bridge is dragged across those rails into position by a team of oxen who walk around a stanchion in the ground. That in turn is connected to a block and tackle like those you see in old time sailing movies. The block and tackle have a high ratio, so as the oxen walk several feet, the bridge moves a couple inches.
That ratio allows two oxen, or the brace of horses which replaced them from time to time, to pull the weight of the bridge. And as they did that, the staff of the bridge wright took out the wooden rollers under the bridge from their position at the trailing edge, to the leading edge.
It was a truly amazing event, to watch people using ancient materials and techniques to build an architecturally sound bridge, that will last and serve far beyond the lifetime of me or any of my children. This magnificent structure is renamed as the Will Henry Stevens Bridge in honor of that artist, and the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. It was donated by Dorothy and Jimmy Coleman and Dian and Tom Winingder.
All of this is relevant to the latest project I have taken on. It is a ten article series on the common-sense meaning of the US Constitution. Its general title is, “American Government: The Owners Manual.” Beyond the introductory article, each will focus on specific aspects of the Constitution.
What does an ancient bridge have to do with the document written on parchment in Philadelphia in 1787? Both have sound design, based on centuries of experience. Both have current use today, and can continue to serve for centuries to come. But both have to be understood, and preserved with care, to continue to serve.
There is one main difference between that bridge and that document. The bridge design has to remain what it was at the beginning. The design of the document can be changed, because the Constitution has an amendment clause. But that clause, itself, is part of its architecture. That clause, therefore, must be preserved.
A brace of oxen and tons of ancient wood, moving into place inch by inch, teaches lessons about substance and reality. To search for stories on this event, search the internet for “bridge pull” and “oxen” and “Bascom.” Enjoy.
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About the Author: John Armor has spent almost 40 years working with all branches of the federal government, plus state and local officials. He lives and works on a mountaintop in Highlands, NC. John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
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John / Billybob
Nice article. Any pics ?
pics mandatory.
John, 1879? I think you need to fix that sentence.
Is this on video?
John / Billybob
Thanks for posting.
VERY COOL. PICS NEEDED.
Dang.
John / Billybob
“Have you ever seen a bridge pull?”
No, but I’d like too, sounds fascinating!?
Here are some pics of the bridge while it was under construction.
I’ve never seen a bridge pull, but I’ve seen a horsefly.
There's an old covered bridge right around the corner from our house - the last covered bridge in Cobb County GA and one of only 5 or 6 left in the state. It's a one-lane on a little country road, you have to wait and blink your lights for the other guy.
It will last indefinitely, as long as the roof is sound and keeps the water off the timbers.
But never trot a high-steppin' horse through a covered bridge!
Congratulations on getting the bridge but shame, shame, shame on New Hampster for giving it up.
GO BillyBob!!! this one in NewField is the only one around here... 
We’ve got the world’s longest covered bridge in Hartland, NB.
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