Beeson Covered Bridge

The Beeson Covered Bridge was built in 1906 by the Frankfort Construction Company, originally spanning Roaring Creek about a mile northwest of the town of Marshall. It takes its name from the Beeson family, specifically William H. Beeson, born in 1879, who owned 53 acres of land near the original site; it was not called the Marshall Bridge, as that name was already in use by another county span. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1969 due to unsafe abutments and, in August 1979, became the target of two separate arson attempts within a single week: the first, on August 9, was fought off by fire departments from both Marshall and Bloomingdale after the smell of fuel oil confirmed the fire was deliberately set, and a second attempt just after midnight on August 15 was extinguished before serious damage occurred. Fearing further attacks, preservationists arranged for Buchta Trucking Company to relocate the endangered bridge that December, moving it to Billie Creek Village near Rockville, where it now serves as the historic village's entry bridge, spanning Williams Creek. It was reset on concrete pilings, then reset again on creosoted wood pilings after a 1989 flood, and repainted in 1990. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Beeson Covered Bridge remains one of the most dramatic survival stories among Parke County's historic spans.