I took a historical road trip around White County, Georgia in the spring.
I came across the Stovall Mill Covered Bridge just off the highway on Georgia Route 255 in Sautee Nacoochee.
The bridge is the smallest covered bridge in Georgia, at one lane wide, and 38 feet long.
It sits on the Chickamauga Creek, and is out of commission as far as driving on it. It is available to walk through, though.
The historical marker indicates that this version of the covered bridge was built in 1895 after the original bridge was washed away in the early 1800s.
A fun fact is that the bridge was featured in the 1951 movie, I’d Climb the Highest Mountain, starring Susan Hayward.
The marker also states: “Fred Dover constructed a bridge and nearby grist, saw and shingle mill complex here in the late 1800s. The original bridge washed away in the early 1800s. Will Pardue replaced it in 1895 with the present 38-foot structure.
Dover sold the operation to Fred Stovall, Sr. in 1917. The mill and dam washed away in 1964. Constructed as a modification of the queen post truss design, the bridge’s trusses have two vertical posts with iron rods, separated by a horizontal crosspiece.”
Other elements of the roadside attraction are picnic benches and a beautiful highway bridge that also spans across the Chickamauga Creek.
Check it out if you are going in that direction. Currently, the bridge is owned by the White County Historical Society.
