Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainAn 1877 Burr-truss covered bridge spanning Hinkston Creek in Bourbon County, one of Kentucky's last drivable covered spans, with multiple documented legends of tragic deaths and lingering spirits.
509 Colville Road, Millersburg, KY 40347
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to visit; publicly accessible road bridge
Access
Limited Access
Narrow one-lane rural road bridge; unpaved approaches on either side; creek bank accessible by foot
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1877 · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1974, ref. 74000850) · Kentucky Historical Marker No. 1566 · Last surviving covered bridge in Bourbon County · One of only 11–13 remaining covered bridges in Kentucky · Designed and built by the Bower Bridge Company of Maysville, KY
Constructed in 1877 by Jacob Bower of the Bower Bridge Company in Maysville, Kentucky, the Colville Covered Bridge spans 124 feet across Hinkston Creek on Colville Road near the Harrison County line in Bourbon County. The bridge measures 18 feet wide and stands approximately 28 feet above water level. Yellow poplar was selected as the primary construction material for its durability when sheltered from weathering, and the distinctive Burr truss — combining multiple king-post panels with a long arch — provides both lateral stability and load distribution across the single span.
At its peak, Bourbon County was home to approximately 27 covered bridges. The Colville bridge is the only one that survived into the modern era and the last remaining example of its type in the county since 1976. The covering itself served a vital practical purpose: protecting the structural timbers from rain and sun extended the lifespan of wooden bridges from roughly a decade to several generations. The boarded sides also prevented horses from seeing the water below, reducing their anxiety during crossings.
The bridge required several significant interventions over the years. Louis Bower, son of the builder, undertook restoration in 1913. His son 'Stock' Bower conducted further repairs in 1937, including raising the structure to prevent flood damage. In 1972, the bridge was closed for repairs after sustaining truck damage. A two-year major restoration from 1997 to 1999 followed record flooding that caused structural shifting; the project returned the bridge as closely as possible to its original appearance, restoring the wood shingle roof and the signature green-and-white Bower portal details.
On December 30, 1974, the Colville Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP reference no. 74000850). It is designated Kentucky Historical Marker No. 1566. Today it remains open to one-lane vehicular traffic, making it one of only three drivable covered bridges still in use in Kentucky and a focal point of Bourbon County heritage tourism.
Sources
According to regional folklore documented by multiple local writers and news outlets, the Colville Covered Bridge carries the weight of at least two tragic deaths that locals believe have left lingering presences.
The most frequently told legend involves a young couple returning from prom in the 1930s whose car lost control near the bridge and plunged into Hinkston Creek below. The pair were found drowned in the front seat the following morning. Visitors who park on the bridge at night report seeing mysterious lights rising up through the wooden floorboards — as though headlights are shining upward from a submerged vehicle in the creek below. FOX 56 News (Lexington) has reported on these accounts, and the legend has appeared in Kentucky regional ghost-story writing.
A second tradition, documented by local writer Lisa M. Potts, involves an elderly woman who attempted to cross the bridge on foot in the 1930s to reach a doctor's appointment and collapsed before reaching the far end. People passing through the bridge at night have reported hearing a woman coughing and crying out for help. No historical documentation — newspaper record, death certificate, or burial record — has been found to verify the identity of this person or the circumstances described.
A third, older legend holds that a man hanged himself from one of the bridge's interior rafters at an unknown point in the past, a story referenced in regional bridge-history writing. Ghost investigators who have visited the site report capturing unfamiliar laughter on voice recorders. The NKY Tribune noted in 2018 that ghost-story writers covering Kentucky have returned repeatedly to the Colville bridge as one of the state's most persistently reported haunted landmarks.
All paranormal claims are reported folklore; no scientific or historical verification exists for the specific deaths attributed to the legends beyond local oral tradition and regional ghost-writing. Neither the prom-night drowning nor the elderly woman's collapse has been independently verified through newspaper archives.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Walk or drive through the 124-foot Burr-truss span, examine the yellow-poplar construction, and explore the Hinkston Creek bank. At night, visitors report phantom headlights rising through the floorboards and unexplained sounds.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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