Wawona Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Wawona Covered Bridge is a covered bridge
spanning the South Fork of the Merced River
near Wawona, California
in Yosemite National Park
. The bridge was built by Galen Clark, the steward of what was then called the Yosemite Grant, in 1868, without its cladding. The bridge was a major component of Clark's proposed new road from Wawona to the Yosemite Valley
. Clark was unable to complete the road, which he sold to the Washburn Group of investors along with the Wawona Hotel
. The Washburn Group completed the road to the Yosemite Valley in 1879. It is one of twelve remaining covered bridges in California
.
structure and its iron tie rods. The bridge served automobile traffic until 1937, when a new bridge was built about 200 metres (656.2 ft) to the southwest. The bridge was repaired by Civilian Conservation Corps
labor the same year. In 1955 the bridge was damaged by flooding. Marked for replacement on account of the damage and its poor general condition, the bridge was instead reconstructed after National Park Service
landscape architect Thomas Chalmers Vint
intervened in its favor. Work was funded as part of the Park Service's Mission 66
program, using the bridge as the centerpiece of an interpretive exhibit on the history of the Wawona area. The Pioneer Yosemite Historic Center was established nearby. The bridge was repaired, with damaged elements replaced in kind. Since 1957 the bridge has had a number of repairs and replacements as materials have deteriorated.
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Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
spanning the South Fork of the Merced River
Merced River
The Merced River , in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through the southern part of Yosemite National Park, and the...
near Wawona, California
Wawona, California
Wawona is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California. It is located east of Mariposa, at an elevation of 3999 feet...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. The bridge was built by Galen Clark, the steward of what was then called the Yosemite Grant, in 1868, without its cladding. The bridge was a major component of Clark's proposed new road from Wawona to the Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
. Clark was unable to complete the road, which he sold to the Washburn Group of investors along with the Wawona Hotel
Wawona Hotel
The Wawona Hotel is a historic hotel located within Yosemite National Park. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.Wawona Hotel is one of the oldest mountain resort hotels in California and a classic of Victorian era resorts. The Victorian style hotel was built in 1876 to serve...
. The Washburn Group completed the road to the Yosemite Valley in 1879. It is one of twelve remaining covered bridges in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Covered bridge
The modified queen post truss was covered with Douglas fir cladding in 1878, enclosing the Ponderosa pinePonderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
structure and its iron tie rods. The bridge served automobile traffic until 1937, when a new bridge was built about 200 metres (656.2 ft) to the southwest. The bridge was repaired by Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
labor the same year. In 1955 the bridge was damaged by flooding. Marked for replacement on account of the damage and its poor general condition, the bridge was instead reconstructed after National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
landscape architect Thomas Chalmers Vint
Thomas Chalmers Vint
Thomas Chalmers Vint was a landscape architect credited for directing and shaping landscape planning and development during the early years of the United States National Park System. His work at Yosemite National Park and the development of the Mission 66 program are among his better known...
intervened in its favor. Work was funded as part of the Park Service's Mission 66
Mission 66
Mission 66 was a US National Park Service ten-year program that was intended to dramatically expand Park Service visitor services by 1966, in time for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Park Service....
program, using the bridge as the centerpiece of an interpretive exhibit on the history of the Wawona area. The Pioneer Yosemite Historic Center was established nearby. The bridge was repaired, with damaged elements replaced in kind. Since 1957 the bridge has had a number of repairs and replacements as materials have deteriorated.
See also
Other structures at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center include:- Acting Superintendent's HeadquartersActing Superintendent's HeadquartersThe Acting Superintendent's Headquarters in Yosemite National Park was built by the U.S. Army at Camp A.E. Wood in the Wawona district of the park in 1904 to house the commander of the military administration that operated the park in the years prior to the establishment of the National Park...
- Chris Jorgenson StudioChris Jorgenson StudioThe Chris Jorgenson Studio is a one room log building, built in 1904 as an artist's studio for Chris Jorgenson in the Yosemite Valley. Jorgenson, an instructor and assistant director of the California School of Fine Arts, arrived in Yosemite in the 1890s. Jorgenson studied and depicted local native...
- Hodgdon Homestead CabinHodgdon Homestead CabinThe Hodgdon Homestead Cabin was built by Jeremiah Hodgdon in 1879 in the Aspen Valley area of what became Yosemite National Park. The two story log cabin, measuring by , was located in an inholding in the park, owned by Hodgdon's descendants. In the 1950s the family proposed to demolish the...
External links
- Wawona Covered Bridge, Spanning South Fork Merced River on service road, Wawona, Mariposa, CA, with two drawings, fifteen photos, 11 data pages and one photo caption page, at the Historic American Engineering Record
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