Smith's Bridge was built in 1839 as a covered, one-lane wooden span over the Brandywine creek. It was set on fire and destroyed by vandals the night before Halloween in 1961. The Delaware Department of Transportation rebuilt the bridge without a cover.
The "new" Smith Bridge, which spans the Brandywine River, was "rebuilt" in 2002 in the spirit of the original covered bridge at a cost of $1.2 million. The bridge was constructed with new steel beams, a wooden deck and roof and other aesthetic repairs. The piers and abutments were repaired and the curved approaches "smoothed" allowing a better view of traffic approaching from both sides.
The design of the bridge was provided by members of a group interested in preserving the historic look of the bridge. Their insistence on keeping Smith Bridge true to its history has resulted in what is most definitely one of very few one-lane covered bridge that will be built in the 21st century.
