Ada Covered Bridge

Today's Ada Covered Bridge (a.k.a. Bradfield Bridge) spans the Thornapple River connecting the Village of Ada on one side with a public park on the other side. Originally, legislation enacted in 1867 authorized Ada Township to borrow up to $3,000 to build or repair bridges in the area, which is laced with rivers and streams. The original bridge was built during that time by William Holmes. The design for the original "Brown" trusses used to build the bridge was patented by Josiah Brown of Buffalo, New York in 1857. A timber bearing his name was uncovered during repair work on the bridge in 1913, when the trusses were modified. The present structure is a reconstructed wooden truss bridge measuring 14 feet wide and 125 feet long and is open to pedestrian traffic only. The bridge is maintained by the Kent County Park System.