MEEMS BOTTOM COVERED BRIDGE - MOUNT JACKSON, VIRGINIA

                                                                                      NORTH FORK SHENANDOAH RIVER
                                                                                                 SHENANDOAH COUNTY
                                                                                                             BUILT - 1893

Length - 204'.... S. of Mount Jackson. US11 S. 1.7 miles from jct with VA262 in Mount Jackson, W. on VA720 0.5 miles to the bridge. It is the longest covered bridge in Virginia, and one of the last supports regular motor traffic. The current bridge is the fourth bridge that was made on this location. The name of the bridge derives from the locally prominent Meem family which held large tracts of land in the surrounding area. The farm was later bought by F.H. Whisler in 1891; he contracted John Woods to construct the present bridge. Some 57,000' of timber were cut locally by J.L.Olinger. The bridge was strengthened in 1937 with addition of steel I-beams running along the length of the bridge and parallel to the roadway supports. Bridge was damaged by arson in 1976, then restored in 1979 with the salvaged with the bridge's original timber. Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1975. Open to through traffic. Truss Type - Covered Burr Through Truss'
World Guide to Covered Bridge Number - 46-82-01