Phillips Covered Bridge – Parke County – Indiana
The Phillips Covered Bridge was built in 1909 by Joseph A. Britton. The bridge is 43 ft long, and crosses Rocky Run, also known as Big Pond Creek. The bridge is also known as the Arabia Covered Bridge. Unlike most other covered bridges, it is a King Post truss bridge, and the shortest in the county. Its located in Parke County, Indiana. Parke has called itself the covered bridge capitol of the world.
Covered bridge are timber-truss bridges consisting of a roof, decking, and siding and are often painted red, or white. More than 14,000 covered bridges were built in the United States, mostly between the years 1825-1875. Many have since been replaced with more robust steel bridges that can handle heavier vehicles and more traffic, and last longer with less upkeep. Today, roughly 750 remain in the United States, mostly in rural areas of the Eastern US. Good places to spot them include; Indiana (98), Ohio (54), and Pennsylvania (219).
