Restoration completed for covered bridge
County Commissioners dedicate Busching Bridge
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Amidst sunny skies and all the colors of autumn, dedication services took place for the restored Busching Bridge on Friday, October 28, at 10:00 a.m.

One of two covered bridges that remain in Ripley County, the Busching Bridge was built in 1885 by Thomas A. Hardman, according to Alvin Busching, who gave a brief history of the bridge prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Busching's great grandparents owned all the land in that area, and the homes all belonged to members of the Busching family. Prior to the building of the bridge in 1885 the Buschings donated the land for the bridge.

Describing the area in 1885, Busching noted that construction on the bridge began on August 15, and the work was completed by the end of October. The cost was $20.80 a lineal foot for a total cost of around $3,000.

At the time it was built, the road - called the Versailles-Dillsboro Pike - was a toll road and the only one between Versailles and Dillsboro.

The bridge itself has a length of 176 feet or 184 feet including the four-foot overhead at each end. It is a single span Howe Truss structure with a portal clearance of 15'6" wide by 13'6" high.

Among those participating in the dedication and ribbon cutting were the present Ripley County Commissioners - Robert Reiners, Lawrence Nickell, and Chuck Folz; Mark Klosterkemper, marketing representative for AECON, Inc.; and Amos B. Schwartz of the Schwartz Construction Company, restoration contractors.

During his remarks, Schwartz paid special tribute to Junior Heaton and the Ripley County Highway Department who had reconstructed the entrance to the bridge and to Paul Morris, who had constructed the stone wall on the east side of the bridge. He also mentioned the Versailles State Park staff and their cooperation.

"Once these (covered bridges) are gone," said Schwartz, "they're gone forever."

Former county commissioners John Little and Donald Dunbar were also on hand for the ceremony as were many of the county's elected officials, State Representative Cleo Duncan, County Historian Helen Einhaus, and President of the Ripley County Historical Society, Betty Roepke.

Members of the Busching family in attendance included Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Busching and Ruth Busching Ashcraft.

According to information on the dedication program, "the Busching Covered Bridge has received outstanding maintenance by the county commissioners over the years and its condition is matched by few other covered bridges throughout the state."

This latest rehabilitation project was funded through the Federal Highway Administration Transportation Enhancement Program with limited matching local funds.

The Busching Bridges "serves the town to use some of the Indiana Department of Transportation cement to close up a section of his parking lot on Highway 101. The board agreed.

Marshal Mark Denny has been in contact with the Indiana Department of Transportation to conduct a traffic study on Highway 101. He would like to see the 30 mph speed as a focal point of community pride, a gateway to the Versailles State Park, and a reminder of our rich heritage and history," according to program notes.

In addition to being a tourist attraction, the Busching Bridge is listed in the World Guide of Covered Bridges, which is published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges.

MARY MARGARET MOORHEAD PHOTO

Pictured are Ruth Busching Ashcraft and Alvin Busching, whose ancestors donated the land in 1885, where the Busching Covered Bridge now stands near the entrance of the Versailles State Park. They were among several people who gathered for the dedication of the newly renovated bridge last Friday.