Meems Bottom Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Meems Bottom Covered Bridge carries Route 720 across the North Fork of the Shenandoah River south of Mt. Jackson. Built in 1893-1894 under the supervision of F. W. Wisler, it spans 204 feet in a single Burr Truss, or Kingspost Arch, design patented by Theodore Burr in 1817. Locally quarried limestone abutments reach ten feet below the riverbed, and the pine timbers were cut on a nearby farm. The nomination regards it as the longest surviving covered bridge in Virginia and praises its timber and masonry work and its scenic setting. In 1937 steel I-beams were added beneath the roadway to strengthen it, and it remains in daily local use. A later amendment corrects the site's history: the present span is the fourth bridge at this location, following earlier structures lost to floods in 1870 and 1877. The bridge from 1862 burned by General Jackson stood elsewhere.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the longest of the remaining covered bridges in Virginia, noted for high-quality timber and masonry construction and a scenic setting. It is a Burr Truss (Kingspost Arch) structure, a form patented in 1817 by Theodore Burr. A later amendment corrects the history of earlier bridges at the site.
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 75002037, listed June 10, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Mt. Jackson on VA 720 over North Fork of Shenandoah River, Mt. Jackson |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | June 10, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75002037 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1893-94 (19th century) |
| Architect / builder | F. W. Wisler (supervised construction) |
| Architectural style | Burr Truss or Kingspost Arch covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent or good repair and used daily by local traffic; reinforced with steel I-beams in 1937. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.72077, -78.65521 (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 75002037.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712827
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.