Busching Covered Bridge, Spanning Laughery Creek at Covered Bridge Road, Versailles, Ripley County, IN

Significance: The Busching Bridge was constructed in 1885 by Thomas A. Hardman and has been in continuous use since that date. The timbers for the superstructure are said to have been cut from the site of the local Baptist church. A 170 foot clear span over Laughery Creek utilizing a modified Howe truss is the dominant feature of the bridge. This truss clearly expresses its sophisticated design by varying the dimensions of the structural members in accordance with the changing loads and resulting forces.
Survey number: HAER IN-33
Building/structure dates: 1885 Initial Construction