
Lake of the Woods Covered Bridge - Mahomet IL
Posted by:
silverquill
N 40° 12.253 W 088° 23.256
16T E 381906 N 4451346
The Lake of the Woods Covered Bridge was constructed to connect the two sides of Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet. Designed by German Gurfinkel, and dedicated in 1965.
Waymark Code: WM2Q1C
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 12/04/2007
Views: 118
After the purchase of an 80-acre tract of land west of the Sangamon River in the 1960s, the Lake of the Woods Covered Bridge was constructed to connect the two sides of Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet. Designed by German Gurfinkel, a Civil Engineering instructor at the University of Illinois, the bridge was a replica of the Pepperel Bridge near Boston.
In 1965, the bridge was dedicated in honor of Harold Moon, then Lake of the Woods Superintendent, who directed the actual construction. The work took 18 months and cost $55,000. The bridge was 140 feet long and 32 feet wide and was made of southern pine and Douglas fir. The dedication ceremony went off on schedule even though there were construction interruptions from two floods and delays in receiving lumber from the south
In 1996, major repairs and renovations were made to the bridge. The base of the bridge was reinforced to prevent erosion, the entire deck was replaced, and the walkway area was widened as part of the newly-constructed bicycle-pedestrian path. The bridge continues to be a popular destination for visitors to Lake of the Woods.
Current Condition of Bridge: Excellent. In regular use
 Web Address: [Web Link]
 Description of Covered Bridge: (See long description above).
 Year Built: 1965
 Location (Road - City - State - Country): Lake of the Woods Park
 Parking (If not at the bridge):: Not listed

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