Traveling through the backroads of North Carolina with its cotton, corn, and soy yields can take one back in time. I came across one of the last two covered bridges still standing in North Carolina known as Bunker Hill Covered Bridge. The name intrigued me from my time living in Boston, but this bridge is named for a local farmer in the area and dates back to 1895.
The bridge is free to visit and worth the short detour off Rt. 321 or I-40, which was about 15-20 minutes. This covered bridge is part of the Historical Association of Catawba County’s preservation efforts and other sites include:
Bunker Hill Covered Bridge
Catawba County History Museum
Harper House/Hickory History Center
Murray’s Mill Historic District
All are within a short 10-20 minute detour from I-40.
Please check out my previous post Covered Bridges in Georgia for more details about the history of covered bridges in the souther states.
As it was a Sunday, during the drive a couple of the historic sites were not open including Harper House and Catawba County Museum. The Murray’s Mills Historic District was open and includes the Mill, an early 20th century home, and an old General Store.
Murray’s Mill
According to the docent, this mill built by John Murray is still in the family and is operational today. The original dam was wooden, but was replaced in 1938 with what is seen in the image above. The dam was also raised six feet and the general store was move across the street to its present location.
Overall, a relaxing walk through this mill and yards. If you are in the area, consider exploring this history of the south. Consider going during the week, Tuesday through Saturday for a better chance of seeing all of the sites.
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