Auchumpkee Creek Bridge

The Auchumpkee Creek bridge was destroyed in the floods of 1994, after it's 100th birthday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided $166,000, and Upson County Historic Preservation Commission chairman Bobby C. Smith, a Thomaston real estate agent, helped raise over $42,000 for retrieving the leftover bridge members and restoring the bridge.

See a with some great pictures taken July 3, 1997 when a team of horses pulled the bridge into place. The page documents a type of event not seen in Georgia since the beginning of the century (if then).

The photos below show progress of construction of the bridge (click for larger version). The framework of the bridge was rebuilt on the banks of the creek by Arnold Graton of New Hampshire using traditional construction techniques including wooden pegs ("trunnels") to hold the bridge together. After being pulled across the creek the bridge was placed on temporary dunnage until the stone abutments supporting the ends of the bridge can be built up higher than future floods. The roof was then put on, weatherboarding put in place, and the approaches were built.

After frame was dragged into place, Summer 1997	Working on the roof, Fall 1997

The dedication for this bridge took place during the nearby city of Thomaston's Covered Bridge Arts Festival October 9-11, 1998. For archival photos of this bridge, check out the Thomaston-Upson County Archives.

Pier Detail	Bearing Detail	Roof Members	Old Bridge

County: Upson Other names: Hootenville Bridge Length: 96 ft. Width: ft. Built: 1892, rebuilt 1997 Builder: W. Alford/Dr. J. Herring Truss: Town lattice Stream: Auchumpkee Creek Road name: Adjacent to Allen Road Traffic: No WGCB Number: 10-145-02#2 Parking: Yes Picnic area: Yes Historic marker: No Owner: Upson County
	Washed out bridge, Summer 1994

Last modified: 22 September 1999

This is a mirror site for: Georgia Department of Transportation's Bridge Site for Achumpkee Covered Bridge

The format of this mirror page has been modified to omit unrelated information. The Georgia Department of Transportation is subject to changing their web address of the original site and the content of their site. Those changes may not be reflected on these pages.