State Dedicates Beaverkill Covered Bridge

NY State Office of Parks & Recreation News Release

 

ALBANY, NY, August 20, 2008 - Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) Commissioner Carol Ash and Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today that the Beaverkill Covered Bridge has been listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places.

"The Beaverkill Covered Bridge forms a centerpiece and focal point of the Catskill landscape and its listing on both the State and National Historic Registers will help provide additional recognition to this region as an historic, environmental and recreational resource," Commissioner Ash said. "The bridge continues to provide DEC's Beaverkill campground with a connection across this important river, and also symbolically connects both residents and visitors with the past."

The Beaverkill Covered Bridge was built in 1865 by John Davidson, a Scottish immigrant who was also involved in farming and lumbering, and it remains an important community connector. The bridge is a distinctive example of a Town lattice truss, a type of bridge construction favored for its considerable strength and ease of construction. The bridge was recommended for nomination by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and placed on the New York State Register of Historic Places by Commissioner and State Historic Preservation Officer Carol Ash. It was subsequently nominated to and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.