Georgia's only covered bridge still open to automobile traffic — an 1872 Nickajack Creek crossing in Cobb County that local legend calls Crybaby Bridge, said to carry the cries of children who drowned in the creek below.
Concord Rd SW, Smyrna, GA 30082
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public access; historic district park area
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved road through bridge; adjacent trail along creek is unpaved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1872 · Only covered bridge in Georgia still open to automobile traffic · Rebuilt in 1872 following Civil War destruction of original 1848 structure · Anchor of Cobb County's first historic district (1986) · Burr-arch truss design — a significant example of 19th-century timber bridge engineering
The Concord Covered Bridge occupies a quietly dramatic site where Concord Road descends through hardwood bottomland to cross Nickajack Creek. The original bridge at this crossing was constructed around 1848, serving the farming communities of southern Cobb County. It was destroyed during the Atlanta Campaign of 1864, when Union forces under General William T. Sherman advanced toward Atlanta — covered bridges were tactically burned throughout northern Georgia to impede Confederate logistics and pursuit.
The rebuilt bridge, completed in 1872, employs the Burr-arch truss design — a combination of a through-arch and a multiple king-post truss that was favored for its structural redundancy and its ability to be built with green lumber. The timbers were protected from weather by the covered roof and siding, a practical necessity for long-term preservation on a working rural crossing. The bridge measures 131 feet in length and 16 feet in width.
Cobb County recognized the bridge's historical significance in 1986 by creating the Concord Covered Bridge Historic District — the county's first historic district designation — which encompasses the bridge, the adjacent Concord Baptist Cemetery, the creek corridor, and a historic grist mill site. A subsequent renovation in 1999 preserved the bridge's structural integrity while retaining its period character.
Today the bridge is one of fewer than a dozen surviving covered bridges in Georgia and the only one still open to automobile traffic, making it a dual landmark — a functioning piece of infrastructure and a preserved artifact of nineteenth-century engineering.
Sources
The Crybaby Bridge tradition at the Concord Covered Bridge belongs to a widespread Southern folk motif — the drowned child whose cries persist at a crossing — but it is among the best-documented examples in Georgia. Multiple independent regional sources, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, local Cobb County news, and dedicated historical/paranormal coverage, confirm the legend's currency in the area.
The core tradition holds that children drowned in Nickajack Creek beneath the bridge at some point after its reconstruction in 1872. Versions differ on the number of victims — most accounts cite two children; others say three little girls. No historical record of such a drowning has been independently confirmed, and the claim appears to be folk lore rather than documented incident.
The traditional test involves parking a car in the middle of the bridge after dark, turning off the engine and lights, and waiting. Participants report hearing the faint sound of a child crying. Secondary reports describe cold spots along the creek, anomalous lights, and a sense of being watched from the adjacent Concord Baptist Cemetery — which some locals call the 'Witch's Graveyard' based on a reportedly unusual grave marker.
The Concord Covered Bridge ranks among Cobb County's most visited informal paranormal destinations, drawing both local teenagers following a long-established ritual and visitors from metropolitan Atlanta seeking accessible rural dark tourism.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Walk or drive through Georgia's only covered bridge still open to automobile traffic. The 131-foot Burr-arch truss bridge crosses Nickajack Creek and is surrounded by a small historic district with interpretive markers. Excellent photography destination.
Local tradition holds that parking on the bridge at night with lights and engine off may yield the sounds of crying children — the ghosts of those said to have drowned in Nickajack Creek. The adjacent Concord Baptist Cemetery is also considered a paranormal hotspot.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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