County's Historic Bridges Reside in Forest

Bridge #54 at the mouth of Looking Glass Creek

The North Carolina Department of Transportation website lists four historic bridge in Transylvania County.  All four are located on a short stretch of Highway 276 in the Pisgah National Forest.  They were built in 1935 by the State Highway Commission along with the US Forest Service in an effort to increase automobile tourism and recreation in Western North Carolina.  Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway was occurring at the same time.  Improvements of Hwy 276 from Brevard through the Pisgah National Forest would provide access to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  These projects were part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program and helped create jobs during the Great Depression.

All four bridges cross Looking Glass Creek, the first near its confluence with the Davidson River.  Forest Service Rd 475 turns west to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife immediately north of this bridge.

The reinforce concrete, tee beam bridges were typical for the time period.  Their uniqueness lays in the decorative details.  "Round-headed openings pierce the concrete balustrades of each bridge and the five parallel lines of tee beams are finished with haunches that emulate the curves of arched bridges.  Further, blocks of granite, reportedly laid by Italian stonemasons, face pylons, abutments and wingwalls."

Davidson River Bridge on Highway 64

A similar bridge on Hwy 64 crossing the Davidson River was built in 1934 by the North Carolina State Highway Commission and Public Works Commission.  It also has the open arch details rather than solid concrete walls.  However, it does not have the granite stonework of the bridges in the Pisgah National Forest.  This bridge carries the traffic coming into Brevard.  The bridge carrying traffic out of Brevard was constructed in 1956.

Information on these and other historic bridge in North Carolina can be found at www.ncdot.gov/projects/ncbridges/historic.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.