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Staats Mill Covered Bridge LbNA #34326 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Family Grave Seekers
Plant date:Aug 19, 2007
Location:
City:Ripley
County:Jackson
State:West Virginia
Boxes:1
Found by: grammaof2inwv
Last found:Nov 21, 2007
Status:Faaaaaaa
Last edited:Aug 19, 2007
Staats Mill Covered Bridge

Cedar Lakes Conference Center began over 50 years ago as an FFA/FHA camp with the donation of over 200 acres to the West Virginia Board of Education. It hosts many craft workshops, old-fashioned to modern, along with 4-H and band camps and even the Mountain State Arts and Crafts Fair during the 4th of July week. It has a lodge, many cottages and a dining hall to accommodate groups. There are sports fields, a swimming pool, boat rentals and putt-putt golf all in a picturesque, park type setting. Growing up in this area, I enjoyed riding my bicycle on these grounds and summer evenings were filled with music from the many high school band camps held here. In 1983, a covered bridge was relocated here after being removed from its original location on nearby Staats Mill Road that was to be flooded by a watershed project that created Lake O’Brien. The bridge is available for rent by groups just like a picnic shelter.

Directions:
Locate Cedar Lakes Conference Center 2 miles south of Ripley on Cedar Lakes Road. See www.cedarlakes.com for directions and a map of the facilities. Drive onto the grounds, noting a large ‘Cedar Lakes’ sign on your right and the Staats Mill Covered Bridge on your left. Park at the historical marker (Parking Lot #3 on your map) and walk through the restored bridge (item #65 on the map) to the north side. What you seek is a zip-lock bag covered in camouflage where the wooden bridge meets the stone abutment at the northeast corner of the bridge. Please take care to ensure the bags are all properly sealed before rehiding. While you are here, see if you can find “H’s Four” and “Cedar Lakes” letterboxes nearby. Enjoy!