Conley’s Ford Covered Bridge
- Built: 1906–1907 by J. Lawrence Van Fossen
- Creek: Big Raccoon Creek
- Location: 2 miles SW of Mansfield, between Mansfield and Bridgeton
- Size: 192 ft long + two 10 ft overhangs; 16 ft wide; 13 ft clearance
- Truss Type: Double Burr Arch, single span
- Foundation: Concrete
Repairs
- Resided and reroofed in 1991 with corrugated steel and fresh paint.
History & Design
- Built of white pine, unusual in Parke County, and among the longest single-span covered bridges in the world.
- Constructed the same year Jefferson P. Van Fossen built Adam’s Bridge; Jefferson later built Jessup and Roseville bridges.
- The Van Fossens often collaborated with Joseph J. Daniels, adopting his signature “Daniels Arch.”
- In 1991, original Daniels-style portals were replaced with Britton-style portals.
Historical Notes
- Early portals listed county officials and the builder; fragments of names survive in old photos.
- The sign “Cross This Bridge At A Walk” refers to horses—meant to prevent damaging vibrations from a gallop.