STAATS MILL COVERED BRIDGE
Built in 1887 by H.T. Hartley, this bridge spanned the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek at Staats Mill, about 9 miles southeast of Ripley.
Hartley used the patented Long truss system to construct the 97-foot long and 11-foot wide span. The bridge was originally built in the area settled by Abraham and Ann King Staats, whose grandson Issac built Staats Mill.
The bridge was moved in 1983 to its present location at Cedar Lakes state FFA-FHA camp near Ripley. It now serves as a walking bridge and its maintenance is the responsibility of the Cedar Lake Conference Center.
To locate the bridge, from downtown Ripley at the junction of US route 33 and secondary route 21, take route 21 south for 9/10 mile to a small sign on the right, which says “Cedar Lakes Road”. Turn left and drive 1.7 miles to Cedar Lakes, the bridge sits over a pond inside the camp.
