Ford V-8 Dump Truck Driving through a Covered Bridge, August 2, 1938

Covered bridges were built across the United States throughout the 19th and into the early 20th centuries. Bridges provided important commercial and community connections, but constructing them required careful planning and a substantial investment of time, labor, and materials. Walls and a roof helped preserve these valuable structures by protecting the truss system and keeping structural timbers dry.