Our community’s beloved Cedar Covered Bridge, originally built in 1883 by Harvey Pierce Jones and replicated in 2003, was destroyed by arson on April 15th, 2017.
On April 17th, a group of county-wide stakeholders met in Madison County to discuss rebuilding. The consensus is “yes.” The bridge must be rebuilt.
According to County Engineer Todd Hagan, the cost to rebuild the bridge in 2003 was $576,000. Hagan was asked to put together a cost estimate for rebuilding Cedar Bridge. The group is also actively engaged in gathering information about covered bridge insurance options and the cost to update surveillance cameras with new technology.
Official Resolutions of support to rebuild Cedar Bridge are pending from these organizations: Madison County Supervisors, Madison County Covered Bridge Preservation Association, Madison County Conservation Board, Madison County Development Group, Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Madison County Historical Society, Covered Bridges Scenic Byways Council, Madison County Historic Preservation Commission, and the City of Winterset.
The Madison County Covered Bridge Preservation Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), welcomes donations to help fund the rebuilding of Cedar Bridge.
Checks can be made out to “Rebuild Cedar Bridge” and mailed or hand-delivered to any of three local banks:
Farmers and Merchants State Bank, 101 W Jefferson Street, Winterset, IA 50273; 515-462-4242
American State Bank, 809 N John Wayne Drive, Winterset, IA 50273; 515-462-5090
Union State Bank, 611 IA Hwy 92, Winterset, Iowa 50273; 515-462-1665
Online donations by PayPal or Credit Card are also being taken at www.madisoncountyhistory.com.
For more information, follow Rebuild Cedar Bridge on Facebook, or contact rebuildcedarbridge@gmail.com.