Pooles Mill -1906
The Poole's Mill Covered Bridge - Cherokee Chief George Welch constructed a grist mill here on his extensive home place in Forsyth County around 1820.
An uncovered bridge was later added. With the 1838 removal of the Cherokees, the land was sold to Jacob Scudder. Dr. M.L. Pool purchased it from Scudder's family in 1880. Abandoned in 1947, the mill burned in 1959. The original bridge washed away in 1899 and was replaced with this present 96-foot long and 14.5-foot wide structure in 1901 crossing Settendown Creek. Constructed in the Town lattice design by Bud Gentry, the bridge's web of planks crisscrossing at 45 to 60-degree angles are fastened with wooden pegs, or trunnels, at each intersection. It now is surrounded by a 10-acre state park, which includes nature trails, cascading falls, garden picnic tables with grills, a playground for the children, a large pavilion, restrooms, and a large parking lot.
In the mid-1990s the bridge began to sag and a revitalization effort began. A support pier was built in the creek in the middle. During this revitalization, private citizens also donated land in the area for the creation of Poole's Mill Park.
There were over 250 covered bridges in Georgia, but now only 15 remain.
Poole's Mill Covered Bridge was added to the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places in April 1975.
Located at: N34 17.459 W84 14.555 - WGCB #10-58-01 #2
Photographed in late November of 2018.