Hailing from a bygone era when horses were more common on roads than automobiles, covered bridges in West Virginia provide our busy, modern senses with charming reminders of less frenetic times. And in the Mountain State, we still get to enjoy at least 17 of these historic structures. Out of those, here are three of the longest-covered bridges in West Virginia: Philippi Covered Bridge, the Carrollton Covered Bridge, and the Barrackville Covered Bridge, each predating the Civil War. Let's take a look at these iconic emblems.
Among West Virginia's covered bridges, the Philippi Covered Bridge is especially significant.
The first land battle of the Civil War was fought near this bridge. We love imagining what that must have looked like.
It was built to cross the Tygart Valley River at Philippi in 1852 by Lemuel Chenoweth.
It is the oldest and longest covered bridge in West Virginia.
Originally 312 feet long, the Philippi Covered Bridge now stretches just over 285 feet, making it the longest covered bridge in West Virginia.
Yet another thing that makes it notable? It's one of only a handful of two-lane covered bridges left in the United States.
Next, the Barrackville Covered Bridge is the second-oldest and second-longest of the WV covered bridges, elegantly stretching over Buffalo Creek in Marion County.
This bridge is one of the prettiest covered bridges in West Virginia.
It stretches an impressive 145 feet and was built in 1853, also by famed Appalachian bridge builder Lemuel Chenoweth.
Finally, the third-oldest and third-longest of these three bridges near me is the Carrollton Covered Bridge over the Buckhannon River in Barbour County.
This historic bridge was built in 1856 and spans 140 feet 9 inches.
Sadly, it was heavily damaged by a fire in 2017.
But restoration was completed in 2023 by the hard-working WV Division of Highways bridge crews from District 7, and it looks as beautiful as ever.
To find these three covered bridges in West Virginia, which are all located within an hour of each other, check Google Maps. Have you ever been to see any or all of these charming bridges? How about the other covered bridges near me? If so, please share in the comments below.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!
