High Bridge Virginia! Pictures added.

[Buzzard Wing]

A key contingent of Cub folks took a walk to see the awesome job they recently finished on the High Bridge near Farmville, VA. It was truly impressive

The video on this page answered a few questions we had about the construction of it. The original towers are brick, strapped with iron. One of the most beautiful places I have been to in quite a while.

http://www.virginiaoutdoors.com/parks/d ... state-park

[Joe Malinowski]

That was a good video Larry thanks. Seeing the bridge like we did really makes you appreciate the effort they put in to restore it. It was a great part of the trip.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Thanks, Larry, I was a little young, during the Civil War, and don't remember the details! Ed
(actually, my US history teacher was Gen. McClellan's great grandson. He "skipped over" a lot of the details about "stupid Grandpa", and a lot of the rest of the war. Didn't want us to get too curious, and read about it, ourselves.)

[Buzzard Wing]

Here are some pictures. We visited less than a week after it opened. It is a 'rails to trails' trailway that allows horses, bikes and foot traffic. Gotta walk your horse across the bridge. We forgot to bring ours They should be proud of their efforts!


The original brick piers strapped with iron.


Iron towers


Missing a few bricks


Capped with stone, has drilled holes in the sides. Guessing that's how they lifted them.


More of the brick piers


Appomattox River

[Joe Malinowski]

We sure were up very high.

[ScottyD'sdad]

We sure were up very high.

Joe, I imagine that , equipped with "Buzzard Wings", height isn't a concern. Great pictures, Larry! Ed

[daddydip]

Larry that reminds me of a bridge here in Pa. that was once the longest covered bridge in the world. The Wrightesville Bridge was one of the major stops for Lee's troops on the Gettysburg Campaign. Jubal Early sent Gordon to York Pa. with the intention of taking the bridge then heading on to Lancaster Pa. and then to take the Capitol City Harrisburg, that was to be his route of approach to Gettyesburg. On the afternoon of June 28th 1863 Gordon and his troops approached Wrightsville and there were skirmishes all the way to the banks of the Susqhuhanna River. There were three regiments of federal troops and a makeshift regiment of African American laborers and residents. The three regiments of federal troops retreated back accross the bridge to Columbia Pa. that morning and never returned before all the excitement began, as Gordon approached the bridge and attempt was made to blow up a section of the bridge but the charge didn't do the job. So it was set a fire. The original piers still stand,and that was the furtherest east that the confederates traveled in Pa. This is important to me because my Great Great Grand father Mathew Pugh was born in Wrightesville Pa in Aug. 1840 he was there with his father Benjamin born 1805 in Virginia. GG Grand pop married my GG Grand mother Henrietta Sweeney in Columbia Pa. on July 12th 1863 about a week after the close of Gettyesburg. He went on to enlist in the Dept. of the Ohio Valley enlisting in Toledo Ohio in 1865 serving 12thUSCHA in Camp Nelson Kentucky. He mustered out as a Quartermaster Sgt. in 1866 Louisville Kentucky. Read more about it here http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=5636

[Yogie]

I've added a few of my own Larry, I've driven by this area several times wanting to see this bridge. I'm glad it's open for the public to enjoy and I hope to have Gray Cub there this Fall to see it for himself.
160 feet tall and 2,400 feet long... Two battles were fought to save this bridge from being destroyed during the war.
Amazing how the piers still stand straight after 160 years, this is all wet area so there's no telling how deep the bases are.

[Goraidh (Jeff)]

Impressive, Larry.