State Sanatorium Covered Bridge
- Built: 1913 by Joseph A. Britton
- Creek: Little Raccoon Creek
- Location: Originally on State Sanatorium grounds (now Lee Allen Bryant Nursing Home); moved in 2009 to CR 100 N, now open to traffic
- Size: 154 ft long + two 8 ft overhangs; 16 ft wide; 12’6 clearance
- Truss Type: Burr Arch, single span
- Foundation: Concrete (built by Elbridge Boyde)
History
- Constructed for the Indiana State Tuberculosis Sanatorium, established in 1907 and operating by 1910 as a self-sufficient community with medical staff, power plant, and farms.
- The bridge was built to haul coal directly from nearby mines to the sanatorium’s power plant, avoiding longer detours.
- Elbridge Boyde hauled materials with his mule team, which was the first to cross the bridge.
- The Plank Road Bridge, previously used for access, washed out in the 1913 flood and was replaced by the Howard Bridge.
Unique Features
- Only Parke County covered bridge equipped with lightning rods.