# Why covered bridges are covered

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-covered-bridges-are-covered/313734>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 23, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-covered-bridges-are-covered/313734 "2005-07-23T00:13:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John.St](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b38774/32.png) [@John.St](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John.St)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-covered-bridges-are-covered/313734/1 "2005-07-23T00:13:46Z")

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In “Why are covered bridges covered ?” [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_174.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_174.html)  
Cecil writes “the somebody usually credited is Timothy Palmer, who built the prototypical American covered bridge in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1804.”

A somewhat slow moving Timmy, as the covered wooden bridge, spanning the Reuss River in Luzern, Switzerland, dates back to the 1330’s - or rather - dated, because it burnt down in the 1990’s - tough luck.

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**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-covered-bridges-are-covered/313734/2 "2005-07-23T14:56:15Z")

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> [@John.St](#):
>
> In “Why are covered bridges covered ?” [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_174.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_174.html)  
> Cecil writes “the somebody usually credited is Timothy Palmer, who built the prototypical American covered bridge in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1804.”
> 
> A somewhat slow moving Timmy, as the covered wooden bridge, spanning the Reuss River in Luzern, Switzerland, dates back to the 1330’s - or rather - dated, because it burnt down in the 1990’s - tough luck.

I hope you’re not suggesting that Unca Cece was… less than accurate. Please to note he said (as you quote), “the somebody _usually credited_”, not “that somebody was”.