Howard's Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Big Clouds Creek Covered Bridge, also called Howard's Covered Bridge, carries an unpaved county road over Big Clouds Creek about three miles southeast of Smithsonia, Georgia. Built in 1904-05 by county convict labor under a Mr. Hunt, it is a single 161-foot span of Town Lattice truss made of rough-sawn heart pine, resting on local stone piers and sided with pine board and batten. The original wooden shingle roof was replaced with metal, the only recorded change. Hunt had learned the technique from Washington King, son of bridge builder Horace King. The lumber came from South Georgia by rail on James Monroe Smith's Smithonia and Dunlap Railroad, then by wagon to the site. The bridge is one of 21 covered bridges left in Georgia, 13 of them still in use, and one of 13 using the Town Lattice design patented by Ithiel Town in 1820. A broken lower chord on the west side has been propped with timbers.
Significance in brief: It is one of 21 covered bridges remaining in Georgia and one of 13 still in use. It is also one of 13 surviving Georgia bridges of Town Lattice design. It was built under a Mr. Hunt, who learned the method from Washington King, and its lumber arrived on James Monroe Smith's private railroad.
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 75000604, listed July 1, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3 mi. SE of Smithsonia on SR S2164 over Big Clouds Creek, Smithsonia |
|---|---|
| County | Oglethorpe County |
| Listed | July 1, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000604 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1905 |
| Architect / builder | Mr. Hunt (builder), who learned Town Lattice construction from Washington King |
| Architectural style | Town Lattice truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In fair condition and in use with moderate traffic; a broken lower chord on the west side is temporarily supported by a timber crib and needs repair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.98592, -83.13339 (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 75000604.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16980436
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.