Transportation Landmarks: Dents Run Covered Bridge

Covered bridges are ubiquitous in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. These bridges tend to span small creeks and rivers on back roads serving picturesque farms. At the time, wood was the natural choice for construction an affordable and easy to obtain material. But, wood is susceptible to rot. By covering wooden bridges the structure had protection from the elements.

Dents Run Covered Bridge

Dents Run Covered Bridge is one of only 17 remaining covered bridges in WV. It was built in 1889 for a mere $443. The kingpost truss designed bridge is 13’-wide by 40’-long. The bridge spans Dents Run near Laurel Point, which is about 15-minutes west of Morgantown. The bridge was restored in 1984 and remained open to vehicular traffic through 2004.

In the time the bridge has existed, the environment around it has both changed dramatically and remained impressively unchanged. In the not too recent past, Dents Run ran orange with acid mine run-off and was entirely devoid of life. It is difficult to imagine this when the creek runs green between two grassy banks. This transformation was a concerted effort by Consol Energy. Not far from the bridge is Morgantown, which has exploded with growth over the past few decades, but looking out from either end of the bridge there is little evidence of this boisterous neighbor.

It was added, along with over half of the other covered bridges in West Virginia, to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The specific application for Dents Run is available for review. It is the last covered bridge in Monongalia County, but with recent restoration and closure to vehicular traffic, it will likely last a very long time.

If you are interested in visiting, there is room for a few vehicles to park on the far side of the bridge. There is also a geocache located here.