Covered Bridges Are Slowly Disappearing And Expertsagree That At Lest Ten Are Demolished Or Destroyed Byfloods Every Year. In Santa Cruz County, Where Themost Number Of Covered Bridges Still Stand, It Hasbecome Part Of The Landscape And Great Efforts Arebeing Taken To Preserve Them.Though The Exact Number Is Actually Just Three (3),they Are Stilled Considered Very Important Becausethey All Date Back To The 1800s. According To Records,at One Time There Were More Than A Thousand Coveredbridges All Over The Western States Of The US, Andnow, Because Of Rapid Commercialization Anddevelopment Of New Construction Materials, Coveredbridges Are Slowly Disappearing.The Three Remaining In Santa Cruz Have Gainedconsiderable Popularity And Historical Significanceand Therefore Cannot Be Easily Discarded. They Havecome Under The Protection Of The Law And Areconsidered To Be Historical Places Fit Forpreservation. The Efforts Of The Counties To Preservecovered Bridges For Future Generations To Enjoy Arestarting To Pay Off As More And More Are Being Addedto The Registry Of Historic Places Every Year. Tomaintain Its Historical Integrity, Renovation Andrefurbishment Projects Are Done Using The Samematerials And Techniques Employed During The Time Theywere Built.Covered Bridges Still Have Very Practical Purposesthese Days. The Walls And Roofs On Them Can Stillprovide Protection From Extreme Weather Conditionsduring Winters And Summers. Back In The Early Years Ofcovered Bridges, They Are Usually Used For A Lot Ofreasons; From Sheltering Weary Travelers Stuck Becauseof Bad Weather, To Looking Like Barns To Make Thecrossing Livestock More Comfortable. These Days Thesame Roofs And Walls Serve A More Aesthetic Purpose,basically To Add More Personality To Covered Bridgesand Make It Seem More Romantic.In The Past Ten Years, Most Of The Covered Bridges InAmerica Were Moved To Private Estates And Gardenswhere They Used To Create A More Romantic Feel, Biggerones Though Are Left Where They Stand Since There Aremoves To Block The Relocation Of The More Historicones. Covered Bridges In Private Properties Andcolleges Ironically Have More Chances In Survivingbecause Of The Protection The Local Security Provides.Old Ones In More Rural Wares Are More Susceptible Tovandalism And Arson. Though Protected By Thegovernment, Some Historic Covered Bridges Are Locatedso Far From The Towns That Watching Over Them Isreally Difficult.Covered Bridges Also Represent The Rustic Charm Ofsmall-town America. It Triggers Within Most People Aromantic Picture Filled With Sentimentality. There Waseven A Time When They Were Called "kissing Bridges"because It Was A Place Where Secret Lovers Could Meetto Steal Kisses From Each Other.They Are Also Being Used For Inspiration Byphotographers To Take The Effort In Locating Them Allover America. Covered Bridges Also Look Really Goodwhen Photograph During Autumn. The Colored Leaves Andthe Wooden Bridge Are So Reminiscent Of The Covers Oflove Story Books Back In The 80s. They Are Trulyspecial Relics Of Early America That Should Bepreserved And Maintained For The Rich History Theyrepresent.Thanks To The Awareness Brought About By Hobbyist Andhistoric Preservationist, People Are Now More Aware Ofthe Beauty That These Bridges Posses. They RemindAmerica Of A Time When Life Was Simple And Progresstook On A Slow But Steady Pace. They Are Also Symbolsof The Ingenuity Of The American Carpenters Andengineers Who First Thought Of Covering Bridges Toextend Its Lifespan. They Are Truly A Part Of Americanhistory And Should Be Preserved For Americas Futuregenerations To Enjoy.
