page_title: Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge
section_title: South Branch Bridge
hierarchical_section_title: Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge / History / South Branch Bridge
caption_attribution_description: English: South Branch Potomac River near Romney Bridge, Romney, West Virginia, United States.
context_page_description: The Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge, formerly known as South Branch Bridge or Romney Bridge, is a historic Whipple truss bridge in Capon Lake, West Virginia. It is located off Carpers Pike and crosses the Cacapon River. The bridge formerly carried Capon Springs Road over the river, connecting Capon Springs and Capon Lake.
  The bridge's Whipple truss technology was developed by civil engineer Squire Whipple in 1847. J. W. Murphy further modified Whipple's truss design in 1859 by designing the first truss bridge with pinned eyebar connections. The design of the Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge incorporates Murphy's later modifications with double-intersections and horizontal chords, and is therefore considered a Whipple–Murphy truss bridge. The Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge is West Virginia's oldest remaining example of a Whipple truss bridge and its oldest extant metal truss bridge.
  The Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge was originally constructed in 1874 as part of the South Branch Bridge, a larger two-span Whipple truss bridge conveying the Northwestern Turnpike across the South Branch Potomac River near Romney.
context_section_description: The Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge was originally constructed in 1874 as part of the South Branch Bridge (or the Romney Bridge), a larger two-span Whipple truss bridge conveying the Northwestern Turnpike (U.S. Route 50) across the South Branch Potomac River 0.57 miles (0.92 km) west of Romney. The 1874 Whipple truss bridge across the South Branch replaced an 1838 wooden covered bridge that had been chartered by the Virginia General Assembly during the construction of the Northwestern Turnpike. Before the construction of the covered bridge in 1838, a public ferry conveyed traffic across the river. Isaac Parsons (1752–1796) operated a ferry there following its establishment by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in October 1786. The 1838 covered bridge remained in use until it was destroyed by retreating Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Throughout the course of the war, Romney reportedly changed hands 56 times between Confederate and Union forces, and the crossing of the South Branch Potomac River served as a strategic point due to its position along the Northwestern Turnpike, an important east–west route.
  Following the conclusion of the war, nearly all bridges along the Northwestern Turnpike had been destroyed, including the South Branch Bridge. In order to restore local businesses and industry, Hampshire County citizens called a meeting and steps were taken at the local level to proceed with the construction of new bridges. Local citizens and the South Branch Intelligencer newspaper of Romney campaigned for the immediate replacement of the bridge because of "continual risk, danger and inconveniences arising from want of the South Branch Bridge at Col. Gibson's (destroyed during the war)...". Hampshire County began issuing bonds for the construction of a new bridge over the South Branch in 1868, and by 1874, construction of the Whipple truss bridge had commenced. T. B. White and Sons were charged with the bridge's construction.
  The South Branch Intelligencer published periodic updates on the progress of the South Branch Bridge's construction. According to the newspaper, the bridge was scheduled to be completed by July 1875. During the course of construction, John Ridenour lost a finger while working on the bridge. The new South Branch Bridge was completed well ahead of schedule in October 1874. The October 12, 1874, edition of the South Branch Intelligencer characterized the new bridge as a "complete, handsome and durable structure", and further recounted that "the contractors, Messrs. White & Sons, New Brighton, Pennsylvania 'Penn Bridge & Machine Works,' have given us, in general opinion, a first rate, durable work, and deserve our best commendations.... We are confident that ours will realize a very handsome income and fully vindicate the wisdom of the County Court in voting its construction."
  Following its construction in 1874, the Whipple truss bridge over the South Branch Potomac River served Romney and travelers along the Northwestern Turnpike for 63 years. In 1935, the West Virginia State Road Commission began organizing a project to replace the Whipple truss bridge, and construction of the new bridge had begun by 1936. In November of that year, a car collided with the south side of the eastern Whipple truss span, which knocked the span completely off its eastern abutment. The car plunged into the South Branch Potomac River, followed by the compromised truss span, which collapsed on top of the car. Unaware of the span's collapse, a car traveling from the west drove off the end of the west span at the bridge's center pier, and fell onto the collapsed span. According to the Hampshire Review, the only serious injury sustained was a broken wooden leg. Following the collapse of the eastern Whipple truss span, a temporary wooden span was hastily constructed between the western truss span and the eastern abutment, so that traffic was uninterrupted until the new bridge was completed and opened on June 21, 1937. The 1937 bridge was used until 2010 when it was replaced by the current South Branch Bridg
caption: The South Branch Potomac River looking north in 2008, downstream from the present-day South Branch Bridge
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