{"nrhp_refnum":"75000570","name":"New Salem Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"6 mi. N of Commerce on SR S992 over Grove Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Commerce","county":"Banks County","state":"GA","lat":34.25843396300007,"lon":-83.42211389599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-06-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A covered timber bridge with a single 47-foot span over a branch of Grove Creek on State Route S992, about six miles north of Commerce in Banks County, Georgia. It was built in 1915 by W. M. Thomas.","why_significant":"It is one of only three covered bridges left in Banks County, which once had about 30, and one of 21 remaining in Georgia. It is one of four in the state using a Kingpost truss, modified here to carry a 47-foot span. It once served a lateral county road linking two north-south highways.","narrative":"This covered timber bridge crosses a branch of Grove Creek on State Route S992 in Banks County, Georgia, north of Commerce. W. M. Thomas, who built a number of covered bridges in the county, completed it in 1915. It has one 47-foot span, is 15 feet wide, and rests on concrete abutments. The frame uses a Multiple Kingpost truss of heart pine timbers, reinforced by iron rods on each side, with a metal roof and plain barn-type portals. The sides are rough pine board and batten. Banks County once had about 30 covered bridges but only three remain, and Georgia has 21 in total. The Kingpost design is the oldest and simplest truss type, normally used for short spans, and here it was modified for a longer one. The bridge once connected two north-south highways serving Commerce and Carnesville. A modern concrete bridge now carries traffic, and the old structure is weak but still draws visitors who stop to photograph it.","period_of_significance":"1915","architect_builder":"W. M. Thomas","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Bypassed by a modern concrete bridge and no longer in use; described as structurally weak, in fair condition, and standing because it is bypassed and its roof is sound.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:40.80842-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/75000570.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93206901","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Salem_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58904099"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/banks-county/new-salem-covered-bridge-75000570/"}