The James Bridge near Commiskey, left, and the Scipio Bridge near Scipio are two covered bridges in Jennings County that were recently included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The James Bridge near Commiskey, left, and the Scipio Bridge near Scipio are two covered bridges in Jennings County that were recently included on the National Register of Historic Places.
VERNON — A county rich in history has a couple of more bridges to the past that will be celebrated in a public gathering next weekend.
The Jennings County Historical Society will be commemorating the acceptance of two covered bridges in the county — The James Bridge near Commiskey and the Scipio Bridge near Scipio — for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It gives them a prestigious designation and it helps with preserving the bridges for the future,” said Chris Asher, curator for the historical society.
Not that the bridges need any immediate preservation work. Asher said both bridges underwent fairly recent renovation and remain in use and in good shape, thanks to the Jennings County Commissioners, who are responsible for the county’s roads and bridges.
Next Sunday afternoon, as part of the historical society’s annual meeting in Vernon, members will present a short program highlighting the history of the bridges with a reception to follow.
Historical society board member Louise Malcomb hopes people come with stories to share about the bridges to be recorded for future generation.
“I think all the covered bridges and many of the iron bridges are of historical value because of the transportation systems they allowed us to develop,” Malcomb said, particularly in agricultural areas.
“There are only 90 covered bridges remaining in Indiana, and probably a third of those or more may not be on the National Register,” she said.
It took about a year and a half for the bridges to gain national historical status, Malcomb said, from the time the applications were filed. They first were reviewed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Historic Preservation before being sent to the National Park Service, which listed the bridges on the National Register last August.
The James Bridge crosses Graham Creek on County Road 650S about a half-mile east of State Road 3. The Scipio Bridge crosses Sand Creek on County Road 575W south of County Road 700N.
Malcomb said the event next Sunday will be an opportunity for a community celebration of its unique and now nationally recognized landmarks.
“I was encouraged by people that live nearby and love and adore those bridges,” she said. “It wasn’t me as much as the whole communities around the bridges that wanted them listed.”