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Center Point, Doddridge County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

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Inventory Number: WV/48-09-01
County: Doddridge County
Township:
Town/Village: Center Point
Bridge Name: Center Point
Crosses: Pike Fork, McElroy Creek
Truss type: Multiple King Variation
Spans: 1
Length: 43'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1888 or 1890
Builder: John Ash & S.H. Smith
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N39 23.370
Longitude: W080 38.046
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: On Mud River Rd. or Pike Fork east of WV23 at Center Point.

Center Point Bridge, Center Point, Doddridge County, WV Built 1888 or 1890
Richard Sanders Allen Collection, NSPCB Archives

Center Point Bridge, Center Point, Doddridge County, WV Built 1888 or 1890
Bob Sheldon Photo, August 16, 2010

Center Point Bridge, Center Point, Doddridge County, WV Built 1888 or 1890
Bill Caswell Photo, September 29, 2016

Comments:
Closed. Local tradition says that this bridge was built around 1890 by Richard (Dick) Allen with Milton Bates and Silas Justice preparing the cut stone abutments. The West Virginia Department of Transportation website indicates that it was built in 1889 by John Ash and S.H. Smith. Around 1916 a huge oil tank was hauled from Salem to Franks Run by team and wagon. Since the bridge opening wasn't quite large enough, the teamsters cut away parts of the roof braces. The bridge was abandoned around 1922 when route 23 was built through the area. On May 18, 1954, title to the structure was transferred to Mr. Burlin Bates of 206 Beech St., West Union, WV in exchange for right-of-way across his land. The bridge underwent $353,697 worth of renovations by The Righter Co., Inc. of Columbus, OH in 2002.

Sources:
Auvil, Myrtle. Covered Bridges of West Virginia Past & Present, 1973, pages 47 & 124
Wells, Rosalie. Covered Bridges in America, 1931, page 130
http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/bridge_facts/covered-bridges/Pages/CenterPointCoveredBridge.aspx
Travis, Dale. 'West Virginia Covered Bridges List', updated to 23 Feb 2005, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbwv.htm (12 Mar 2005)
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume XXXIV, No. 3, Summer 1976, page 11
Connecticut River Valley Covered Bridge Society. Bulletin, Volume IX, No. 4 (Spring 1963), page 3
Wood, Miriam F. & Simmons, David A.. Covered Bridges: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, 2007, pages 257, 276
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 157

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