A National Geographic photographer and a lonely farmer's wife spark a brief, passionate love affair in rural Iowa in the novel, "The Bridges of Madison County" by Robert James Waller. Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood starred in the movie of the same name set amidst the romance of these historically preserved covered bridges. You can see all six of the bridges of Madison County clustered within a few miles of the town of Winterset in one pleasant weekend.
Farthest west of Winterset is Imes Covered Bridge, the oldest of the six covered bridges of Madison County. Imes was built in 1870 and was moved twice: first in 1887 to a location over Clinton Creek and again in 1977 to its present location, just east of St. Charles, about eight miles outside of Winterset.
Holliwell Covered Bridge was built in 1880 by Benton Jones and renovated in 1995. Of the six bridges, it is the longest, at 122 feet. It stands at its original site, about two miles southeast of Winterset, where it crosses the Middle River.
The Cutler-Donahoe Bridge was built in 1870 by Eli Cox and renovated in 1997. It has a pitched roof and was originally located near Bevington at the North River. In 1970, it was moved to its present site in the Winterset City Park.
Benton Jones built the Cedar Covered Bridge in 1883, three years after the Holliwell. It was originally built north of Winterset on Cedar Creek and was moved in 1921 to its present location three miles northeast of the center of Winterset, over the same stream. The bridge today is a replica, built in 2004 after the original was destroyed by an arsonist in 2002. Nevertheless, the bridge is a landmark made famous from Waller's novel. It is not only where main characters Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid meet to take photographs, but it is also featured on the book's cover.
Also built by Benton Jones, the Hogback Covered Bridge, erected in 1884 and renovated in 1992, is still in its original location about four miles north of Winterset. Set in a valley, the bridge measures 97 feet and was named for a limestone ridge along the west end of the valley.
The same year he built the Cedar Covered Bridge, in 1883, Benton Jones also built the Roseman Covered Bridge. Renovated in 1992, it remains in its original location about eight miles west of the center of town and has gained fame through the novel as the first bridge Robert sought to photograph and where Francesca leaves her note inviting him to dinner.
