West Union Bridge
About this property
The West Union Covered Bridge formerly carried Tow Path Road over Sugar Creek north-northeast of Montezuma, Indiana. The two-span Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1876. It is notable for being the longest standing covered bridge in Parke County, and one of the nation's best-preserved examples of the Burr truss. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 2016. The West Union Covered Bridge is the third bridge to stand at this location. The Star Mill Covered Bridge was the first and then the Harrison Covered Bridge replaced it but was damaged in 1876 prompting the West Union Covered Bridge to be built. The bridge was finished in September 1876. The road was originally part of the "Indiana State Highway", established with Legislature in 1827, which connected Fort Wayne with Terre Haute. Along with the Armiesburg Covered Bridge it hosted stage coach traffic to Lafayette. Not much is left of West Union today, only a handful of houses. Gone are the school, post office, and the railroad. The Wabash Erie Canal ran just west of town with a feeder canal running south of Sugar Creek and connecting to the west of the bridge. The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad crossed Sugar Creek to the east of the bridge and past West Union on the west side. Little is left of evidence of the railroad or the canal today. Farmers reclaimed the land and farm most of it today. List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Indiana National Register of Historic Places listings in Parke County, Indiana Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IN-105, "West Union Bridge, Spanning Sugar Creek, CR 525W, West Union, Parke County, IN"
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was West Union Bridge listed on the National Register?
West Union Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.
What type of historic resource is West Union Bridge?
West Union Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for West Union Bridge?
The period of significance for West Union Bridge is recorded as the civil_war era.
Can I research the history near West Union Bridge?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near West Union Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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