1896,1948,2013 PA-633 McPherson's Ford Bridge over Cowpasture River in Alleghany County, VA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite) Also called McKinney's Hollow Bridge

This 318' (97m) long bridge has a main span of 107' (33m). "Built 1896; Rehabilitated in 1948, bypassed and preserved 2013" [BridgeHunter]

Street View, Oct 2024

2008 Photo by C Hanchey via Archived Bridge Hunter

HAER VA,3-CLFO.V,1--8
8. 3/4 VIEW, SOUTH ELEVATION OF THE CENTER SPAN, LOOKING NORTHWEST - McPherson's Ford Bridge, State Route 633 over Cowpasture River, Clifton Forge, Alleghany County, VA

Bridges & Tunnels posted three photos with the comment:

McPherson’s Ford Bridge stands as a relic of 19th-century infrastructure crossing the Cowpasture River in Alleghany County, Virginia.

Settlement in the Cowpasture River Valley began in the 1750s, with transportation evolving from flatboats to turnpikes and canals by the early 19th century. The land around McPherson’s Ford was part of a plantation before a road, later becoming State Route 633, provided access to a mill site. In 1896, amid regional economic growth, officials approved the construction of McPherson’s Ford Bridge after considering multiple locations. Completed in 1897, the iron [HAER_data called it steel] truss bridge served the area for over a century before being bypassed by a modern structure in 2013.

🔖 Read on in "McPherson’s Ford Bridge: A Forgotten Landmark of Alleghany County": https://abandonedonline.net/mcphersons-ford-bridge-a.../

🔖 Full history with photos: https://abandonedonline.net/location/mcphersons-ford-bridge/

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