Poinsett Bridge
Bridge in Greenville County, South Carolina
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Poinsett Bridge is the oldest bridge in South Carolina and perhaps in the entire southeastern United States.[2][3] Named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, it was built in 1820 as part of the Old Buncombe Road from Columbia, South Carolina, to Saluda Mountain.[4][5] The stone bridge, which includes a 14-foot (4.3 m) Gothic arch and stretches 130 feet (40 m) over Little Gap Creek, may have been designed by Robert Mills, architect of the Washington Monument.[6] Though no longer in use, the bridge remains largely intact[7][8] and is part of the 400-acre (161.9 ha) Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve. There is a nature trail a few hundred yards from the bridge.[3][9] The bridge, about which ghost stories have been told for decades,[10] is located off U.S. Highway 25 north of Greenville, South Carolina.[11] The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[1]
Poinsett Bridge | |
|---|---|
Poinsett Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 35°07′44″N 82°23′02″W |
| Crosses | Little Gap Creek |
| Locale | Greenville County, South Carolina |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 130 feet (40 m) |
| Clearance above | 15 feet (5 m) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | |
Poinsett Bridge | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Tigerville, South Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°07′46.1″N 82°23′03.4″W |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1820 |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000590[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 22, 1970 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Poinsett Bridge | |
