State Dedicates Historic Covered Bridge

ALBANY, NY (08/20/2008)(readMedia)-- 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 covered bridge was built in 1865 and spans the Beaverkill River, which is known in the Catskill region as the birthplace of American fly-fishing.

"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."

"As an avid fly fisherman, it gives me great pleasure to be a part of the special recognition given to this beautiful, historic covered bridge that has spanned this renowned stream for more than 140 years," said Commissioner Grannis. "Buoyed by the advocacy and commitment of many, this bridge stands as strong as it did when the first lattice was laid in 1865. And with its listing on the historic registers, we can be confident that it will span the Beaver Kill for years to come."

Ramsay Adams, Executive Director of the Catskill Mountainkeeper, said, "The Beaverkill Covered Bridge has been a focal point of community here for more than 150 years. This historic recognition will ensure that it continues to be a symbol of the Beaverkill for future generations and provide an important link in one of the state's first Catskill campgrounds."

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.

The covered bridge is within DEC's Beaverkill Public Campground. The Beaverkill Campground began in the 1920s as an informal roadside area where people used the new phenomena of the automobile to reach recreation areas. To accommodate these travelers, the New York State Conservation Commission - the predecessor of both the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation - began to designate specific areas for camping. The Beaverkill area developed into a more formal camping area built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. It included fire rings, privies and other amenities designed to minimize the impact on the landscape and the Beaverkill River. Campgrounds like these resulted in the development of what is now DEC's system of public campgrounds throughout the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves.

For more information on Adirondack and Catskill state campgrounds, go to http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/do/or2top.htm on DEC's website. For information on facilities operated by the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, visit www.nysparks.com.

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