Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge
Also known as: Big Red Oak Creek Bridge
_Red_Oak_Creek,_Huel_Brown_Road_(Cov,_Woodbury_vicinity_(Meriwether_County,_Georgia)).jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge carries Huel Brown Road across the creek about four miles north of Woodbury, Georgia. Built around 1840, probably by Horace King, it uses the Town lattice design, a crisscross web of planks pegged together at each joint and patented by Ithiel Town in 1820. The covered portion is 116 feet long, and the total span of 412 feet is the longest of any covered bridge in Georgia. Its heart pine sills measure 15 by 15 inches, and about 2,500 pegs hold the truss together. The bridge may be the oldest covered bridge in the state and remains in use. It recalls a time when more than 250 covered bridges stood in Georgia; only 22 remained when it was documented. King, born into slavery in 1807 and freed in 1848, built many bridges across west Georgia. The structure was considered at risk from a proposed dam at Sprewell Bluff.
Significance in brief: The form argues it may be the oldest covered bridge in Georgia and is an outstanding reminder of the era when over 250 covered bridges stood in the state. It is a surviving example of Ithiel Town's patented lattice truss and is tied to the bridge builder Horace King. It is also still in use, though it may be endangered by the proposed Sprewell Bluff Dam.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 73000632, listed May 7, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Woodbury on Huel Brown Rd., Woodbury |
|---|---|
| County | Meriwether County |
| Listed | May 7, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000632 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c.1840) |
| Architect / builder | Probably Horace King |
| Architectural style | Town lattice truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use; condition marked fair and unaltered, on its original site. The form notes possible danger from the proposed Sprewell Bluff Dam. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.03846, -84.55327 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 73000632.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904077
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.