White Oak Creek Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Carrying traffic on Covered Bridge Road about three miles southeast of Alvaton, this single-span covered bridge crosses White Oak Creek in Meriwether County, Georgia. It measures 80 feet long and uses the Long truss design, a panel type with crossed single members between posts forming a series of kingposts with counter braces. Built around 1880, it is one of only 22 covered bridges remaining in Georgia. The Long truss was introduced in 1830 by Colonel Stephen H. Long, first for railroad use. The bridge is attributed to Horace King, born a slave in South Carolina in 1807 and freed in 1848, who became Georgia's best-known bridge builder. King built across the Chattahoochee at Columbus and worked widely in west Georgia, later settling near LaGrange around 1874. County-owned, the bridge was described as in fair condition, unaltered, on its original site and still in use.
Significance in brief: The bridge is one of Georgia's 22 remaining covered bridges and an example of the Long truss design. It is attributed to Horace King, described as Georgia's most famous bridge builder. Areas of significance are listed as engineering and transportation.
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 73000627, listed June 19, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Alvaton on Covered Bridge Rd., Alvaton |
|---|---|
| County | Meriwether County |
| Listed | June 19, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000627 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c.1880) |
| Architect / builder | Probably Horace King |
| Architectural style | Long truss (panel type with crossed single members between posts, kingposts with counter braces) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Meriwether County; condition rated fair, unaltered, on its original site, and still in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.15011, -84.55048 (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 73000627.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904079
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.