{"nrhp_refnum":"06001261","name":"Wawona Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Pioneer Yosemite History Center","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wawona","county":"Mariposa County","state":"CA","lat":37.53870504100007,"lon":-119.65562992999998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-01-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Entertainment/Recreation","Transportation","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 130-foot-long wooden covered bridge over the South Fork of the Merced River at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California. Galen Clark built it in 1868 as an open-deck bridge, and it was covered in 1878.","why_significant":"The nomination argues state-level significance under Criterion A for its role in transportation, tourism and recreation, as a link in the first stage road from Wawona to Yosemite Valley. Under Criterion C it is an example of vernacular covered bridge engineering from California's pioneer era. It is reportedly one of only twelve covered bridges left in California and the only one in the National Park Service's western region.","narrative":"Spanning the South Fork of the Merced River at Wawona in Yosemite National Park, this 130-foot wooden covered bridge was first built in 1868 by Galen Clark, the first guardian of the Yosemite Grant, as an open-deck crossing. The Washburn Group, which bought Clark's Wawona holdings, covered it in 1878 with lumber from its own sawmill. The bridge became a crucial link in the first stage road from Wawona to Yosemite Valley, completed in 1875, and so tied into the growth of tourism in the region. Its modified Queen-post truss uses hand-hewn ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. After severe flood damage in 1955, park officials chose rehabilitation over replacement, and the 1956 work reused sound materials and replaced others in kind. Later repairs continued through 2003. Reportedly one of twelve covered bridges left in California, it was listed for its transportation and recreation history and as a surviving example of pioneer-era engineering.","period_of_significance":"1868 to 1957","architect_builder":"Galen Clark (original builder, 1868); covered in 1878 by the Washburn Group using lumber from its sawmill","architectural_style":"Other: Modified Queen-post Through Truss","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in good condition after the 1956 rehabilitation and later repairs. It remains at its original location and carries local and pedestrian traffic.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.69581-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/06001261.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06001261/55508e4272-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06001261/55508e4272-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Brian C. Grogan, Photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wawona_Covered_Bridge,_Spanning_South_Fork_Merced_River_on_service_road,_Wawona_(Mariposa_County,_California).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Brian C. Grogan, Photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wawona_Covered_Bridge,_Spanning_South_Fork_Merced_River_on_service_road,_Wawona_(Mariposa_County,_California).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859774","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawona_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7975630"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/mariposa-county/wawona-covered-bridge-06001261/"}