Roddy Road Covered Bridge
39°38'27" -77°23'37

At a length of just under forty feet, little Roddy Road Bridge is the smallest covered bridge still existing in Maryland. It is also the only one with a single kingpost truss, a truss frequently used for smaller bridges. The builder and year of construction are unknown. Most historians set the build date as c1850, about the same time as Loys Station and Utica Mills Covered Bridges. But some also suggest the build date was actually 1856. It is common belief that Confederate General JEB Stuart and his calvary crossed Roddy Road Covered Bridge on July 5, 1863 during the Gettsyburg campaign of the Civil War. There are no records indicating any battles took place at or near the bridge.


Steel beams were added under Roddy Road's flooring for support sometime in the early 1930s and have twice been replaced due to corrosion. Steel beams were first replaced during the 1979-80 rehabilitation. New wingwalls were also put in place. Unfortunately, errors were made while repairing the bridge in 1980 by setting the four corner posts in concrete. The result was trapped moisture at the base of the posts and the end of the bottom chords causing the wood to rot. In March of 1992 an oversized truck damaged the bridge's roof and truss closing it to traffic. Repairs were done through the help and effort of many volunteers and the bridge was able to reopen in October of the same year. A local company, Heavy Timber Construction owned by Dean Fitzgerald was instrumental in the bridge's repair effort and donated much of the needed material. The bridge was repainted to original historical standards in May of 1993. Later in 1993 concerned citizens and Fitzgerald pressured Frederick County Highways to upgrade the four corners of the bridge to prevent further decay and to replace the badly corroding stringers. In 1994-95 Roddy Road bridge underwent extensive repairs including replacing the rotted material and cutting back the wingwalls to allow for air circulation and drainage around the base. Nine new steel I-beams were installed for support. Roddy Road was reopened on July 15, 1995.


Today, Roddy Road Covered Bridge is in excellent condition. It rests at the corner of Roddy Road and Roddy Creek Road just a half mile from U.S. Route 15 in Thurmont, Maryland. The setting includes a nice little park ideal for a quiet family picnic. Roddy Road Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1978.