The Locust Creek Bridge is the only covered bridge still standing in Pocahontas County. The bridge is a segment of the original road established by pioneers, linking Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties. It spans Locust Creek near Beard, about five miles south of Hillsboro, and was built in 1870 at the cost of $1,250. In 1888 the original bridge was replaced and in 1904 it was rebuilt again. This photograph was taken by William P. McNeel in April of 1957 and shows the bridge in much need of repair. In 1968 the bridge was repaired, painted and given a new oak floor. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and in 1990 the state of West Virginia bypassed it with a modern concrete span. In 2002 it was renovated into a pedestrian crossing. The Locust Creek Bridge was featured on the Pioneer Days Badge in 1979.
(Pocahontas Co. Historical Society Collection, ID: PHS004690)
Access the “Preserving Pocahontas” Digital Library at www.pocahontaspreservation.org or www.preservingpocahontas.org If you have historical records or photographs to be scanned for the county Historical Archive contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreservation.org Prints of photographs are available.