Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge is a county-owned wooden covered bridge
that spans the northeast corner of Duck Pond in Sumter County, Alabama
, United States
. It is located on the campus of the University of West Alabama
behind Reed Hall, which is off Student Union Drive in the city of Livingston
. Coordinates are 32°35′37.42"N 88°11′8.97"W, or 32.593728, -88.185825).
Built in 1861, the 88-foot (27-meter) bridge is a Town Lattice truss construction over a single span. Its WGCB
number is 01-60-01. The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge is one of five existing covered bridges in Alabama built before 1950 not listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It is one of the oldest covered bridges still existing in Alabama. The bridge is maintained by the Sumter County Historical Society.
by Confederate Army Captain William Alexander Campbell Jones on the main state road leading from Livingston to York
, now U.S. Route 11
just south of Livingston. It was built using hand-hewn yellow pine timbers joined together with large wooden pegs. During the American Civil War
, the bridge was used as an access route to Mississippi
by Confederate forces led by General
Nathan Bedford Forrest
.
A concrete bridge replaced the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge in 1924, and the bridge was moved 5 miles (8 kilometers) south to the old Bellamy-Livingston Road (now Bennett 13 Road, CR 13) over Alamuchee Creek (coordinates 32°31′19.75"N 88°11′12.22"W, or 32.522153, -88.186728), soon given the name "Alamuchee Covered Bridge". The bridge remained in service to motor traffic until 1958, when it was once again replaced by a concrete bridge. During that time, a logging truck being used to haul timbers from the construction site accidentally crashed into the bottom of the covered bridge. As a result, the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge was permanently closed and left unmaintained.
In 1971, the Sumter County Historical Society came to the rescue and fully restored the damaged bridge. It was moved from Alamuchee Creek back into Livingston and placed over Duck Pond at the University of West Alabama. The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge now serves as a campus access route for college students and also attracts visitors from various places to a longstanding piece of history in Sumter County. It has been made wheelchair accessible, and also has lights inside the bridge for nighttime illumination.
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...
that spans the northeast corner of Duck Pond in Sumter County, Alabama
Sumter County, Alabama
Sumter County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of General Thomas Sumter of South Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 13,763. Its county seat is Livingston.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on the campus of the University of West Alabama
University of West Alabama
The University of West Alabama is a public university located in Livingston, Alabama, United States. It is currently on probation with its regional accrediting body....
behind Reed Hall, which is off Student Union Drive in the city of Livingston
Livingston, Alabama
Livingston is a city in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,297. The city is the county seat of Sumter County.-Geography:Livingston is located at .According to the U.S...
. Coordinates are 32°35′37.42"N 88°11′8.97"W, or 32.593728, -88.185825).
Built in 1861, the 88-foot (27-meter) bridge is a Town Lattice truss construction over a single span. Its WGCB
World Guide to Covered Bridges
The World Guide to Covered Bridges is a covered bridge numbering system. The system was invented by John Diehl, the chairman of the Ohio Covered Bridge Committee. The committee first used the numbering system in 1953 to publish a list of covered bridges in Ohio....
number is 01-60-01. The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge is one of five existing covered bridges in Alabama built before 1950 not listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is one of the oldest covered bridges still existing in Alabama. The bridge is maintained by the Sumter County Historical Society.
History
The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge was originally designed and constructed over the Sucarnoochee RiverSucarnoochee River
The Sucarnoochee River is a river in Kemper County, Mississippi and Sumter County, Alabama. It originates at , near Porterville, Mississippi, and discharges into the Tombigbee River at . It is long and drains an area of ....
by Confederate Army Captain William Alexander Campbell Jones on the main state road leading from Livingston to York
York, Alabama
York is a city in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,854.-Geography:York is located at .According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, now U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
just south of Livingston. It was built using hand-hewn yellow pine timbers joined together with large wooden pegs. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the bridge was used as an access route to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
by Confederate forces led by General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
.
A concrete bridge replaced the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge in 1924, and the bridge was moved 5 miles (8 kilometers) south to the old Bellamy-Livingston Road (now Bennett 13 Road, CR 13) over Alamuchee Creek (coordinates 32°31′19.75"N 88°11′12.22"W, or 32.522153, -88.186728), soon given the name "Alamuchee Covered Bridge". The bridge remained in service to motor traffic until 1958, when it was once again replaced by a concrete bridge. During that time, a logging truck being used to haul timbers from the construction site accidentally crashed into the bottom of the covered bridge. As a result, the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge was permanently closed and left unmaintained.
In 1971, the Sumter County Historical Society came to the rescue and fully restored the damaged bridge. It was moved from Alamuchee Creek back into Livingston and placed over Duck Pond at the University of West Alabama. The Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge now serves as a campus access route for college students and also attracts visitors from various places to a longstanding piece of history in Sumter County. It has been made wheelchair accessible, and also has lights inside the bridge for nighttime illumination.
Trivia
Stephen S. Renfroe, known as "Alabama's Outlaw Sheriff," was hanged either from or near the Alamuchee-Bellamy Covered Bridge outside Livingston by locals in 1886. During that time, the bridge was over the Sucarnoochee River and not Alamuchee Creek as many sources state.See also
- List of Alabama covered bridges
- Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge - bridge in Alabama, also with General Nathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford ForrestNathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...