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Preserving a piece of Fountain County history

FOUNTAIN COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – Some Fountain County residents are looking to bring back life to one of the county’s historical treasures.

Fountain County is home to three covered bridges, one of which was built during the Civil War era nearly a century and a half ago.

Sitting just outside of Attica, the Rob Roy bridge dates back to 1860.

The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic two years ago because of safety concerns, but some residents want to see the bridge restored to working order once again.

“This bridge is vital. There’s a number of people that live back in the road that use the bridge to and from,” said Duncan Gilmore, a member of the covered bridge restoration effort.

After deeming the bridge unsafe, county officials obtained an estimate of more than $30,000 to repair the damage.

In addition to its three covered bridges, Fountain County has 140 other bridges it’s responsible for maintaining.

Don Hesler, Fountain County commissioners president, said the money just isn’t there to make the repairs right now.

“We have so much money to operate, to keep the bridges open, to keep the folks happy,” Hesler said. “And you know, that’s what we’re in the process of doing.”

So a group of residents took efforts in their own hands in an effort to restore the Rob Roy bridge. The residents are working on raising money to make repairs and a fund was also created, in which anybody can donate.

“They’re a beautiful part of the history of Fountain County and to see the orange and white barricades placed in front of them just really detracts from the beauty of the county,” said Gilmore.

Right now, the group is staying optimistic toward reaching its goal.

“We would really like to get it back in working condition,” Gilmore said.

If you’d like more information about the covered bridge restoration effort, you canvisit the group’s Facebook page.