Wawona Covered Bridge - Wawona, CA
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member T-Team!
N 37° 32.318 W 119° 39.356
11S E 265341 N 4157942
Over the South Fork of the Merced River in Wawona is a covered bridge. There are only a dozen covered bridges in California, which is reason enough that this bridge is special. But this bridge is special for a whole host of other reasons
Waymark Code: WM164TD
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2022
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 4

"In its earliest form, this bridge was uncovered and unremarkable, except that it was built by Galen Clark. Clark was one of the driving forces behind the Yosemite Grant of 1864, which set aside the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and Yosemite Valley for special protection and preservation. Clark built the bridge in 1857, shortly after moving to Wawona.

The bridge was not covered until 1879, thanks to the efforts of the owners of the brand new Wawona Hotel, a trio of brothers from Vermont. By all accounts the Washburn brothers were charming, successful, and extremely business-savvy. But they were also a long way from home, and probably a little bit homesick. According to one of their granddaughters, the brothers added walls and a steeply-pitched roof to the bridge to remind them of their home in New England, where covered bridges are a common sight.

As you cross the covered bridge today, think about the many early visitors who went over the bridge over a century ago, on their long journey to Yosemite Valley. "

Source: (visit link)
Street address:
4100 Forest Dr
Wawona, CA USA
95389


County / Borough / Parish: Mariposa

Year listed: 2002

Historic (Areas of) Significance: The Wawona Covered Bridge is significant at the state level under National Register Criterion A for its association within the contexts oftransportation, entertainment and recreation.

Periods of significance: Dates of construction: 1868, 1878, 1956-57

Historic function: Transportation (it is a bridge)

Current function: Bridge

Privately owned?: no

Hours of operation: From: 12:01 AM To: 12:00 AM

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

National Historic Landmark Link: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Secondary Website 2: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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sbcamper visited Wawona Covered Bridge - Wawona, CA 08/17/2022 sbcamper visited it