Smith Covered Bridge

Smith Covered Bridge carries County Road 150N over the Flatrock (Big Flat Rock) River northeast of Rushville, in Rushville Township, Rush County. Built in 1877 by Archibald M. Kennedy and his son Emmett, it is the oldest of Rush County's surviving covered bridges and one of the earliest works of the Kennedy family bridge-building firm, which would go on to construct dozens of Indiana's covered bridges over three generations. The 138-foot Burr Arch span features the rounded arch portals and decorative scrollwork characteristic of the Kennedys' craftsmanship. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 2, 1983, as part of the Rush County Kennedy-bridges thematic nomination. By the late 2010s the bridge had deteriorated significantly, with rotting timbers raising safety concerns; a rehabilitation project begun in 2018 moved through environmental review and design before construction was let in 2023. The bridge and its approach road were fully closed in June 2024 for comprehensive structural rehabilitation, and the discovery of additional rotted original timbers in October 2024 further delayed the work while replacement materials were sourced. Repairs were completed in August 2025, and the bridge has since reopened to the public, preserving Rush County's oldest covered span for continued use.