Covered Bridges of Indiana's Counties - Rush Co. - # 79 Homer

The Homer Bridge now stands in the Caldwell Pioneer Acres
four miles south of Rushville, IN.  9/5/2011 dwm photo

The Homer bridge was one of the most hardest to find.

My reference book said it washed downstream nine years after it was built in 1881.

It remained there - used mostly as a barn until 2009 when it was purchased by locals and moved by the Pioneer Engineers Club to Caldwell Pioneer Acres.

The book I had was issued around 1998, noting the Homer bridge was on private land.

I searched for the private land with a bridge, but came up empty.

Only after a few phone calls did I learn about the Pioneer Acres.

This is the only Multiple King Post
truss in the state. 9/5/2011 (dwm)

The bridge was named for the small community where it was located.  It is also known as the Mud Creek bridge for the stream it crossed.

Interestingly, neither Homer or Mud Creek appear on Wikipedia's entry listing covered bridges of Indiana.  I think that's because it stopped serving as a bridge in 1892.

Members of the Pioneer Engineer group, quoted in the Rushville Republican newspaper said it was in good shape given its history.

The Bridge takes pedestrians from the
Saw Mill to tractor display.
9/5/2011 dwm photo

Just sitting in a farmer's field for nearly 120 years apparently didn't hurt much.

It's fortunate to survive since it is the only structure of its kind in Indiana.  There are no arches across the sides of the bridge - just a distinctive single beam in the center with other support beams slanted to the center in each panel (see photo above right).

It was the only Rush County bridge I missed in 2010, forcing me to return a year later.

Rush County, IN
internet image

I'm glad I did.

Homer Covered Bridge

A/K/A:  Mud Creek Covered Bridge

Built:  1881 by A.M. Kennedy and Sons

Style:  Multiple King Post Truss

Length:  60 feet, it now crosses a mostly dry ravine

You can see the other 78 Indiana Covered Bridges by following this link.