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This country's remaining Covered Bridges are a National Treasure! Even in their sometimes dilapidated or poorly restored condition, these spans bear truthful witness to much that is American Culture and Heritage, and ought thus to be preserved!
     The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, founded in 1950, has been instrumental in saving many historic spans from demolition, perhaps even one that you may know of.
     Will you therefore, dear Friend of Covered Bridges, help the Society with its important work? Will you:
a) notify the National Society at Post Office Box 910, Westminster, Vermont 05158- 0910 should you learn of any plans to demolish a Covered Bridge, and
b)consider joining the National Society yourself? There is, after all, much strength to be had in numbers.
     Information concerning membership in, as well as the various activities of, the National Society is given in this brochure.
     Dear Covered Bridge Enthusiast, did you know that as recently as 1959, there were still some 1,344 authentic nineteenth and early twentieth century Covered Wooden Bridges standing in these United States, many of them in near original condition, but that by June 1st 1989, 492 of these had been lost to demolition, neglect, or arson?
     Today, alas, there are fewer than 1,030 Covered Wooden Spans remaining in all of North America.
     Ever since the early 1950's, we in the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, well aware of what has been taking place out in the field, have been diligently working to try to help preserve this country's surviving Covered Wooden Spans. It has not always been an easy task -- it has often been a lonely combat.
    In the early days of the Society, the principle difficulty to be overcome was how to convince regional highway authorities, or selectmen, that a particular Covered Wooden Span in perhaps fairly dilapidated condition had nevertheless intrinsic historic value, and ought thus to be preserved, if possible, not simply demolish to be replaced by a structure of modern design.
     When such campaigns were successful -- and that sometimes was the case -- the structures in question were usually repaired in kind, and therefore retained much of their historic interest.
    More recently, however, now that there is no longer any question but that nineteenth and early twentieth century Covered Wooden Bridges ought to be preserved, discussions with public officials are usually centered on methods of restoration and preservation.
     Respecting the latter, the National Society are in the forefront of those arguing for the use of traditional materials and procedures in Covered Bridge renovation projects. In the opinion of the Society, galvanized bolts, pressed washers, metal splice plates, glue-laminated timbers, and the like, have no legitimate place within the confines of an ancient Covered Wooden Span. There, such materials can only denature and adulterate, never restore or recreate.
     In any campaign to preserve a particular Covered Bridge, or even Covered Bridges in general, good, accurate data are ofttimes invaluable. In this regard, please note that the National Society publishes a listing of all remaining Covered Bridges in the world, called simply, the World Guide to Covered Bridges - Should information concerning the location, age, number of spans, and so forth, of a given structure be required, this information will most likely be found in the pages of the above mentioned publication.
     As well as the World Guide to Covered Bridges, the National Society also puts out a quarterly magazine called Covered Bridge Topics, and a newsletter entitled simply, the Newsletter.
     It is important to note that Topic itself was founded in 1943 by Richard Sanders Allen, a noted Covered Bridge Authority and author of many books and articles on the subject.
     In the Allen tradition, the pages of Topics continue to be filled with interesting historical facts and photographs, some never having seen the light of day before in any other publication. The Newsletter keeps everyone up-to-date with what is happening in the world of the Covered Bridge.
     The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges has been determined to be a non-profit educational-charitable institution as defined in section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and consequently, all donations to the Society are tax deductible.
     Individual or family membership in the Society costs $15 per year, and includes subscriptions to both Topics and the Newsletter.
     Please help preserve these Engineering and Architectural Masterpieces, our remaining Covered Wooden Bridges. Join the National Society today!

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