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Stovall Mill Bridge

Stovall Mill Bridge

Bridge NavigatorLocated in an area of White County, rich in history and legends of the Cherokee, Stovall Mill Bridge spans Chickamauga Creek. This is not to be confused with the more famous northwest Georgia Creek of the same name. An earlier covered bridge stood here but was washed away in the early 1890's. The bridge retains the name of the miller, Fred Stovall, Sr.; who operated the mill complex for many years. The gristmill, sawmill and shingle mill were powered by a water turbine. All are gone now; only the remains of the dam are evident. - From "Covered Bridges of Georgia" by Thomas L. French, Jr. & Edward L. French. Built by the same family and located nearby is the Stovall House which has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast and restaurant. See more about the history of the Stovalls in this area.

This bridge is a short drive from the numerous attractions in the area and is worth the trip. The bridge appeared in the 1950's movie I'd Climb the Highest Mountain starring Susan Heyward.

new members termite damage queen post truss rehab work

Leaning Bridge

Crushed bearing

Queen Post Truss
Before

Rehab work

Initial inspections of the bridge indicated fairly minor repairs would be necessary, but once work began the extent of the damage became clear. Much of the structural wood will had to be replaced or repaired with epoxy. Because of the queen post truss design these members are fairly heavy. Shown above are pictures during rehabilitation of the truss, termite damage that caused bearing failure in the bottom chord, and new replacement members (one rejected because it was not straight) in front of a badly listing bridge. Had any preventative maintenance been done in the recent past, a lot of problems would have been avoided. An important part of all the DOT rehab projects was installation of termite protection.

  • County: White
  • Other names: Helen Bridge, Sautee Bridge, Nacoochee Bridge, Chickamauga Bridge.
  • Length: 36.8 ft.
  • Width: 11' 10"
  • Built: 1895
  • Builder: Will Pardue
  • Truss: Queen-post
  • Stream: Chickamauga Creek
  • Road name: Adjacent to State Route 255
  • Traffic: No
  • WGCB Number: 10-154-03
  • Parking: Yes
  • Picnic Area: Yes
  • Historic marker: NEWYes
  • Owner: White County Historical Society
End View

The repaired truss. Looks great!

Site Map

Repairs performed by DOT on this bridge.

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Updated September 18, 2002. 12:56

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