White's Br. Rd. / Flat River

County: Ionia

City/Township: Keene Twp.

Location: White's Br. Rd. / Flat River

Year Built: 1867

About this Bridge:
White's Covered Bridge is a frame structure with a gable roof. It's construction is of the through truss type and the outsides of the trusses are completely sheeted over with rough pine boards. All of the truss members and dimension lumber are hand hewed and secured with wooden pegs. The sheeting and roof boards were fastened to the rafters with handcut nails and the abutments were made of local fieldstone.

This picturesque covered bridge, one of the last of its kind in Michigan, was built in 1867 by Jared N. Brazee and J.N. Walker, builders of several covered bridges in this area. The name of the bridge derives from the White family, a prominent pioneer family. The crossing of the Flat River here was known as White's Crossing before the first primitive bridge was built. In 1849 a bridge of log-corduroy construction was erected. It was replaced by this covered bridge, costing $1700.