Fleming County Covered Bridge Festival - August 28, 2010 - Live musice, arts, crafts and food specialties!

Goddard Covered Bridge, Flemingsburg, Kentucky. This one-day festival includes food and craft vendors, heritage demonstrations, music, tractor show, quilt show, civil war encampment and more!

For more information visit us at www.fleming kychamber.com.

Flemingsburg is a wonderful small town to visit, and great place to live! Full of historic buildings, it is surrounded by beautiful rolling farmland with three historic and photogenic wooden covered bridges.

Amish shops, antique shops, folk artists, and talented crafts persons complete the picture of life at an enjoyable pace. Golf, fishing, camping, swimming, tennis, hiking, hunting, and boating are all available. Simple pleasures can also be enjoyed by taking a late night stroll around the town square.

Flemingsburg was founded in 1797 by George Stockton of Virginia and named for his half-brother, Colonel John Fleming. It became the county seat in 1798 when Fleming County, the state's twenty-sixth, was created. Stockton and Fleming came down the Ohio River by canoe in 1776 and were among the earliest explorers here.

Exploring the old covered bridges in the scenic countryside is a popular tourist activity, and a guide to all of the bridges is available. Covered bridges were first built in the 1790's, but were not popular until 1814. At one time there were more than 400 covered bridges in Kentucky. Only 13 remain, with Fleming County having three. Each have their own story to tell.

Probably the most recognized covered bridge in Kentucky, the Goddard White Covered Bridge is the only surviving example of Ithiel Town Lattice design in Kentucky, with timbers joined by wooden pegs. Actual date of construction and the original builder are unknown, but the bridge can be traced back to the 1820's. A favorite spot for photographers, the Goddard Bridge frames the Goddard United Methodist Church in the background.

The Grange City Covered Bridge is an 86 foot span over Fox Creek. Replaced by a concrete bridge in 1969, efforts are underway to restore the bridge damaged by four floods. Although no longer open to traffic, the bridge stands majestically amid the surrounding rolling hills.

The Ringo's Mill Covered Bridge was erected around 1867-1869 over Fox Creek on highway 158. The bridge and surrounding community developed because of a grist mill operating on Fox Creek in the mid 1880's. The bridge is not open to automobile traffic but proudly welcomes visitors now as it did over one hundred years ago.

Tragically, the Sherburne Covered Bridge was destroyed by fire in 1981. It was the only suspended covered bridge in the world. A historical marker identifies the bridge's location in tribute to the grand structure and its history.

See the bridges and enjoy the Covered Bridge Festival on the fourth Saturday in August each year.

While you're in Fleming County, you may also want to visit the Elizaville Cemetery to see the Franklin Sousley Iwo Jima Memorial. PFC Franklin Sousley, USMC, was born in Fleming County and was one of the service personnel who raised the flag on Iwo Jima in the famous WWII photograph. The memorial commemorates that event.

We also have more than 70 barn quilts in Fleming County and spending the day seeking out this unique art form is a wonderful way to see the countryside. A guide to the county's barn quilts is available.