Historic bridges of the Atlanta area

There were several historic bridges around the metro Atlanta, Georgia area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Many of them originated as ferries, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s, and carrying travelers across the Chattahoochee River and several other smaller rivers. Several were also covered bridges, a very few of which remain as historic sites.

Abbott's Bridge

Crossed the Chattahoochee River near present-day Johns Creek and Duluth

Brown's Bridge

Brown's Bridge was a covered bridge located between Cumming and Gainesville, over the Chattahoochee River. It was carried downstream but intact in 1946, by a major flood on February 7. Divers have reported it still intact under 120 feet or 36.5 meters of Lake Lanier, which filled the river a few years later. Browns Bridge Road (part of Georgia 369) still exists east of Georgia 9 at Coal Mountain. Just upstream of the original bridge location, a modern bridge carries the road over the lake. To see more information on the modern Browns Bridge, click Browns Bridge

A different Brown Bridge (not Browns) was located near Covington.

Cheshire Bridge

White settlers originally settled the corridor in the 1820s. Two of these early settlers were Napoleon and Jerome Cheshire, two brothers who owned farms on opposite sides of South Fork of Peachtree Creek, and connected their farms by a bridge known as the Cheshire Bridge, giving the Cheshire Bridge Road its name.^[1]^[2]

Concord Covered Bridge

Concord Covered Bridge, Smyrna, Georgia, USA

The Concord Covered Bridge is still located on Covered Bridge Road (past Concord Road) west of Smyrna, and is part of the county historic district named for it. It still carries cars over Nickajack Creek, but is one lane at a time. The Silver Comet Trail also runs over the creek on a former railroad trestle very nearby. The East-West Connector, completed in 1997, was designed to protect the area by not connecting to Concord Road, thereby reducing potential traffic counts on the bridge.

Grimes Bridge

Located over Vickery Creek (Big Creek) in Roswell, just north of the Chattahoochee River. Since July 2008, Grimes Bridge Road is closed until 2009 to replace the bridge.

Haynes Bridge

Located near Alpharetta.

Holcomb Bridge

The Holcomb Bridge was over the Chattahoochee River, on what is now the edge of the city of Johns Creek. Holcomb Bridge Road carries Georgia 140, becoming Crossville Road (Georgia 92, as 140 turns north onto Alpharetta Highway to Houze Road) near downtown Roswell in the northwest, and Jimmy Carter Boulevard upon crossing Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near downtown Norcross in the southeast. Because it is so heavily traveled and densely developed as an arterial road, it is probably the most well-known "bridge" road in the area, along with Cheshire Bridge Road. There is also Old Holcomb Bridge Road, a previous alignment of part of the road northwest of the interchange with Georgia 400, since that freeway was built in the late 1960s.

Howell Bridge

Unlike Howell Mills and Howell Ferry, located near exurban Canton.

Hudson Bridge

Located near Stockbridge.

Jones Bridge

Formerly Jones Ferry. Jones Bridge spanned the Chattahoochee River from 1904-1922 falling into disrepair in the 1930s. Most articles report that half of the bridge was "stolen" in 1940; however, aerial photography appear to show that the theft occurred between 1955-1960. Both trusses were still visible in the 1955 aerial photograph but not in a 1960 aerial photograph. Neighbors didn't know the workers cutting the bridge were not authorized to do so until it was too late. There are no reports of the culprits having been identified or caught.

The historic Jones Bridge is visible via 2 parks that are adjacent to that section of the Chattahoochee River or if traveling down the river by small boat, canoe or kayak.

The Jones Bridge Park is located on the east side of the river in Gwinnett County (Peachtree Corners, GA). It has the most amenities (parking, easy river access points [ramp & stairs], restrooms, playground, volleyball, grills, etc.) and offers the better views and easiest access to see/photograph the Jones Ferry Bridge.

Chattahoochee River National Park - Jones Bridge Unit is nicely suited for boaters, hikers. This park is located on the opposite side of the river in Fulton County (Johns Creek, GA) with basic amenities (parking, restroom, longer trails,and has a boat launch area which Jones Bridge Park does not have). To see the bridge, one must follow the trails along the river upstream for 1/4-1/2 mile. Their site says wheelchair accessible, but the Jones Bridge Unit section is extremely limited beyond the parking area.

Keith's Bridge

Located near Gainesville, Keith's Bridge was a covered bridge over the Chestatee River. Burned in the late 1940s, it is also now submerged under Lake Lanier. Keith Bridge Road still exists today.

Kimball Bridge

Located near Alpharetta.

Medlock Bridge

Located near Duluth.

Plaster's Bridge

Until around 1915, Piedmont Road was named Plaster’s Bridge Road. It was named for a bridge that Benjamin Plaster built over Peachtree Creek. It was about 300 feet (91 m) downstream from the current bridge spanning the creek on Piedmont Road just south of Lindbergh Drive.^[3]

Settles Bridge

Located in Suwanee, and is now a unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Sope Creek covered bridge

Carrying Paper Mill Road over Sope Creek next to the Marietta Paper Mill, it was burned by arsonists in 1967.

State Bridge

State Bridge was located between Johns Creek and Duluth, over the Chattahoochee River and the Fulton/Gwinnett (originally Milton/Gwinnett) county line. It still carries Georgia 141 (State Bridge Road / Pleasant Hill Road) over the river, very near State Bridge Crossing Elementary School on the Fulton side.

Webb Bridge

Located in Alpharetta.

Notes

History of Atlanta

Origins	Standing Peachtree

Buildings	Historic districts Buildings listed on National Register: (Atlanta in Fulton Co.) (Atlanta in DeKalb Co.) Demolished buildings Demolished public housing projects

Civil War	Atlanta Campaign Atlanta in the Civil War Battle of Atlanta Battle of Ezra Church Battle of Jonesborough Battle of Kennesaw Mountain Battle of Peachtree Creek Battle of Utoy Creek

Crime	Atlanta race riot (1906) Atlanta Ripper (1911) Leo Frank lynching (1915) Bombing of "The Temple" (1958) Child murders (1979–1981) Prison riots (1987) Centennial Olympic Park bombing (1996) Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal (2009–)

Culture	Opera in Atlanta

Disasters	Great Atlanta Fire (1917) Tornado strikes downtown (2008)

Events	Timeline International Cotton Exposition (1881) Piedmont Exposition (1887) Cotton States and International Exposition (1895) Gone with the Wind premiere (1939) Democratic National Convention (1988) Summer Olympics (1996)

People	Mayors Pioneers History of Hispanics in Atlanta History of African Americans in Atlanta Demographic history Gentrification Racial segregation

Places	History by neighborhood Former neighborhoods and settlements Annexations and city wards Street names History of Georgia Tech Historic mills

Transportation	Atlanta Transit Company (1950) Historic bridges Historic ferries Freeway revolts Streetcars Transit strike (1950) Western and Atlantic Railroad (1836) Trolleybuses Viaducts

History of Atlanta Timeline of Atlanta history

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