More About the Haw Creek Rd. Bridge

The story in Friday’s paper about the bridge on Haw Creek Road incorrectly stated that the bridge was originally located on Willow Springs Road. According to local historian Rox Ann Johnson, the bridge was actually located at Breeding’s Crossing on the old Fayetteville-Industry Road which ran slightly south of the current Hwy 159.

Johnson said a section of that road exists today as the bottom part of Darden Loop.

Before the bridge, travelers had to traverse a low water crossing on the old Fayetteville-Industry Road. Johnson provided the following short history of the bridge she wrote some years ago as part of a historical marker application:

“In 1915, a group headed by E. C. Albrecht of Willow Springs, once again petitioned for a bridge on the more direct route of the Fayetteville-Industry road. Albrecht had just bought his first automobile, which might have influenced the timing. Each of the petitioners pledged their labor for the project, as was the custom at the time. The project was approved and completed at a cost of $3,450. By early December, locals flocked to admire the “beautiful and massive structure.” With a total length of 247.1 feet and designed with a 6-panel pinned Pratt through truss and 4-panel pinned Pratt pony truss, this new bridge at the old Breeding’s crossing was much longer than the 1885 bridge on Willow Springs Road.

“There are at least three photographs showing the construction of the approaches to this longer bridge. Apparently, the adjacent landowner, Frank Coufal, warned that the bridge would be a problem because of flooding at this location and, indeed, the approaches to the new bridge washed out frequently.

“It was only about nine years later, approximately 1924, that it was decided to make the La Grange to Bellville road, by way of Fayetteville and Industry, a state highway. The new highway realigned the road to cross Cummins Creek on a new bridge between the two previous iron bridges. The 1885 iron bridge, .35 mile north of the new highway, received mostly local traffic. The 1915 iron bridge south of the new highway was no longer used and was moved in 1929 to a location that is farther north on Cummins Creek, on present day Haw Creek Road (formerly County Road 222), where it was badly needed to replace a low water crossing. Ironically, the lowest bid to move the bridge was $4,671.93, more than the original cost of the bridge. About 1996, a modern bridge was built just to the north of the Haw Creek Road bridge and, since that time, the abandoned 1915 bridge has slowly deteriorated. Meanwhile, the concrete piers at its first location to the south of Highway 159 are said to still be in place.”

In addition, Johnson said some people referred to the bridge on Haw Creek Road as the Old Red Bridge in reference to the color of primer, which was left as the finishing coat of paint.

“More of a rusty orange color probably,” Johnson said.