Bridges of Indiana's Counties - Jackson County - #49 Shields' Mill

Shields' Mill Covered Bridge           6/25/2011  dwm photo

When I stopped by the Shields' Mill Covered Bridge nearly seven years ago, I knew it as the Shieldstown bridge.

My guidebook called it that.  It was the second of two bridges in Jackson County. The other is Medora, the longest covered bridge in the country still standing.

Just now you may be wondering why I am including it today instead of last December when the other Jackson County posted.

I missed it.  The following week I moved on to Jennings County and didn't notice what was missing until changing the Covered Bridge Page which organizes all my Bridge Blogs.  So here it is.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it was built with an unusual variant of the Burr Arch Truss and its importance in making transportation easier for residents.  Those original residents were mostly German farmers.

You may be able to see a better version of the Shields' Mill bridge than the one I shot as restoration work is supposed to conclude this summer.

Jackson Co, IN
internet image

I'm glad it is being restored.  The day of my visit it was in tough shape while it slowly fell apart.  The silent witness to more than a century of transportation has stories to tell.

Shields' or Shieldstown Covered Bridge
Built:  1876 by J.J. Daniels

Length:  331 feet over the East Fork of the White River

Style:  Burr Arch, a rare version of the style according to the National Park Service

You can see more covered bridges if you follow the link.