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Iconic Covered Bridge Reopened
Written By: Billy Love, The Bascom | Issue: July 2024
Back in business, The Bascom’s Will Henry Stevens Covered Bridge is a callback to a glorious past and a gateway to a beautiful experience.
The Bascom is delighted to rededicate the Will Henry Stevens covered bridge this month, celebrating the recent repairs to this iconic structure. The renovations ensure its preservation for years to come, providing future enjoyment for visitors to the Plateau.
The Will Henry Stevens Bridge is a defining feature of The Bascom campus and is cherished by the community. Named in honor of Will Henry Stevens, a Southern Modernist painter who practiced both in North Carolina and in New Orleans, the bridge celebrates his legacy.
In 2023, The Bascom undertook repairs to the understructure of the bridge to ensure its functionality for the years to come. The bridge was acquired for The Bascom with the help of the Coleman and Winingder families who had strong ties to Will Henry Stevens and who are the founders of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art.
Bascom Executive Director, Karin Peterson, states that “as an example of the American tradition of covered bridges, The Will Henry Stevens Bridge is an integral and iconic part of The Bascom grounds. Serving as the welcoming entrance to our rustic campus, the bridge perfectly frames the rural farm setting which is revealed as visitors cross it.”
The bridge was recently featured in the official publication for the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, where the interesting history of the bridge was detailed.
Originally constructed in the early 1800s as the Bagley covered bridge in Warner, New Hampshire, it spanned the Warner River. By the 1960s, the bridge had fallen into significant disrepair and was slated for demolition. Bridge wright and restoration conservationist Arnold M. Graton purchased the structure for $1, numbered the parts, disassembled the bridge, and put the parts into storage until it found a new home in Highlands. In this spirit of preservation, The Bascom has continued to be the steward of the renamed Will Henry Stevens bridge, ensuring its legacy endures for future generations.
We would like to thank our community for their support in preserving the bridge and invite all to enjoy one of our region’s most beautiful place-based amenities. The re-dedication ceremony will take place on July 6 at 10:00 A.M.
