July General Body Meeting

in Association With the Kennesaw Historical Society – Proudly Presents “The Kings of Covered Bridges” Lecture Series – with Andrew J. Bramlett

• Networking
• Featured Presenter
• Chapter Business
• Program Directors Update

Horace King, an African-American architect, engineer, bridge builder & Former Alabama State Representative is historically considered the most respected bridge builder of the 19th century Deep South, constructing dozens of bridges in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Lecturer Andrew J. Bramblett, representing the Kennesaw Historical Society will speak to Horace King’s impact in reconstructing the Deep South and how the Society works to maintain and advocate for the works of Mr. King.

The event will include refreshments, networking, and a platform open to public Q&A. All are welcome.

On Feb. 3, 1846, the Alabama Legislature approved a bill of emancipation for famed builder Horace King.

Born in bondage on a South Carolina plantation in 1807, he was brought to Alabama in the early 1830s to aide in the construction of the first bridge across the lower Chattahoochee River. A talented craftsman who specialized in heavy-timber construction, King ranked among the most respected builders in the South. During his career he built an estimated 125 structures, mostly bridges, in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. 

The sturdy, gravity-defying wooden bridges of Horace King were marvels of construction. They helped to connect communities and expand commerce in the first decades of widespread white settlement along Alabama’s southeastern border. Still, we know virtually nothing about King’s early life. In the 1830s, when he was about 25, King was sold to South Carolina builder John Godwin.

King may have learned techniques of the building trade from Godwin. By most accounts, though, he seemed to possess the intuitive skills necessary to become a renowned craftsman on his own. For his part, Godwin discerned the depths of King’s abilities early on and treated him more as apprentice than an enslaved workman. Their decades-long partnership — spanning King’s time in bondage and as a free man — lasted until Godwin’s death in 1859.  Godwin and King arrived in Columbus, Georgia, in 1832, having won the contract to build a 900-foot covered bridge across the Chattahoochee’s muddy waters. The bridge connected Columbus with a small hamlet named Girard on the Alabama side of the river. Later that year, the Alabama Legislature named Girard the first seat of newly established Russell County. Once the bridge was completed, Godwin established himself in Girard, which merged with Phenix City in 1923. He and King built many of the earliest homes and businesses there, including the first Russell County Courthouse.