Smith's Bridge

Inside the bridge with Burr trusses visible. blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)

The first state is home to three covered bridges, with the 154 foot long Smith’s Bridge in Wilmington being the longest.

Originally built in 1839, this one-lane, Burr arch-truss bridge spans Brandywine Creek in New Castle County Delaware, just south of the Pennsylvania state line.

The bridge was torched by arsonists in 1961 only five years after being restored to include the addition of piers and steel beams. The year after the fire, the bridge was reconstructed without the cover and remained that way for nearly half a century.

The bridge received a replacement cover in 2002, but in April 2021, a truck collided with the bridge. The bridge has since been fully repaired and can be enjoyed by bridge enthusiasts everywhere.

Know Before You Go

The bridge is an active one-lane roadway with no real area to pull over, and there is no pedestrian walkway inside the bride, so take caution if attempting to capture photographs.