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The Leatherwood Station Bridge
World Guide #14-61-25
Parke County Guide #25

Leatherwood Station Bridge

The Leatherwood Station Bridge bridge was named for the B&O Railroad station which was nearby at the time, but is also known as "Harry Wolf Bridge," as Harry Wolf owned the land near the bridge. It was built in 1899 by Joseph A. Britton to cross Williams Creek, but the portal was modified into a Joseph J. Daniels Arch, while the framing for an angular Britton portal can be seen from the inside.

According to a letter by Joseph J. Daniels dated May 18, 1899, he bid $680 to build this bridge, but the contract was awarded to Joseph A. Britton for a lesser amount. The bridge is 90 feet long and 16 feet wide with a clearance of 14 feet. It uses a single span Burr Arch truss, and the foundation was originally from sandstone block.

Leatherwood Station Bridge was rehabilitated once in 1940, closed to traffic in 1979, and moved to a new location in Billie Creek Village on August 12, 1981 and is now an attraction at the village open only to foot, horse and wagon traffic. The foundation was also converted to concrete, with sandstone showing. It was posted to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1978.

Parke County is the home of the nation's largest Covered Bridge Festival (see http://www.coveredbridges.com). Established in 1821 and named in honor of the first territorial delegate to Congress, Benjamin Parke, this county is located in West Central Indiana and Rockville is the County Seat.

Parke County originally had fifty-seven (57) known covered bridges plus one (1) it shared with Vermillion County to it's west. Today it has thirty (30) remaining.

Points of interest in the County include: Turkey Run State Park, Billie Creek Village, Raccoon Lake Recreation Area, and all of the beautiful Covered Bridges.