Carries pedestrian traffic Locale Oxford, Alabama ID number 01-08-01 (WGCB) Total length 18 m Material Wood | Crosses Inlet to Oxford Lake Maintained by City of Oxford Opened 1850 Location Oxford Body of water Oxford Inlet | |
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Design Multiple King-post truss with Town Lattice combination Bridge type Covered bridge, Lattice truss bridge Similar Covered bridge, Horton Mill Covered Bridge, Easley Covered Bridge, Waldo Covered Bridge, Swann Covered Bridge | ||
The Coldwater Covered Bridge, also known as the Hughes Mill Covered Bridge, is a locally owned wooden covered bridge that spans the inlet to Oxford Lake in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. It is located at Oxford Lake Park off State Route 21 in the city of Oxford, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) south of Anniston.
Built circa 1850, the 63-foot (19-meter) bridge is a rare construction of Multiple King-post truss with Town Lattice over a single span. The Tallahatchee Covered Bridge, which was also located in Calhoun County, had a similar resemblance. Its WGCB number is 01-08-01. As Coldwater Creek Covered Bridge, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. It is currently the oldest existing covered bridge in Alabama. The bridge is maintained by the City of Oxford.
History
The Coldwater Covered Bridge was built by a former slave around 1850 (although some sources say it was built as early as 1839), originally located over Coldwater Creek on what is now Airport Road along the border of Calhoun and Talladega counties near the community of Coldwater (Coordinates 33°35′9.29″N 85°54′46.8″W (33.585914, -85.913)). This is about 8 miles (13 kilometers) west of its current location. Nearby was Coldwater Mill, also known as Hughes Mill, a local saw and lumber mill owned by Peter N. Hughes and Humphrey Hughes. The bridge partially burned in the early morning hours of August 11, 1920 but was able to be repaired and remain open to motor vehicle traffic. A concrete and steel bridge eventually replaced the aging Coldwater Covered Bridge in 1974, which was soon left to temporarily survive the elements. In 1990, the bridge was fully restored and moved to Oxford Lake Park. The tin roof which was originally on the covered bridge has been replaced with a shingled roof. It is now one of many visited tourist attractions within the Anniston area.