Emory's Ford Covered Bridge

Emory's Ford Covered Bridge was another of the many bridges crossing the Little Gunpowder Falls connecting Baltimore and Harford counties. It was one of the more northern of the Falls bridges located on the Jarrettsville Pike.

The Maryland Session Laws of 1868, Chapter 412, passed "an act to authorize and require the County Commissioners of Baltimore and Harford Counties to levy a sum of money for the constuction of a bridge over the Little Gunpowder river near Emory's Ford." The act was approved on March 20, 1868.

On June 18, 1869, an ad appeared in The Aegis & Intelligencer, a Harford County weekly newspaper requesting proposals be submitted for building a covered bridge at Emory's Ford:

To Bridge Contractors---Sealed Proposals will be received by the County Commissioners for Harford County up to Monday, June 28th, 1869 at 12 o'clock m. for building a Bridge over Little Gunpowder at Emory's Ford, agreeable to the following specifications, viz;

Span to be 40 feet between the abutments and 10 feet high above low water. Depth and width of abutments and wingwalls to be sufficient to secure them against frost and flood, and whenever necessary to be laid with cement. Wing walls 16 feet on the south and 18 feet on the north side of stream. Timbers and roofing to be of arch size and quality as will insure permanancy and durability. The bridge to be sufficient height and width to admit wagons loaded with hay to pass conveniently. The work to be done under the inspection of some suitable person hereafter appointed by the Commissioners.

$600 for the bridge was levied in 1868 and is now available and $100 will be paid by the Turnpike Company