Houck Covered Bridge vandalized, Sheriff's Dept. seeks public's help
The historic Houck Covered Bridge -- often photographed and written about in beauty and praise -- experienced the opposite treatment this week, being written on and drawn upon in a senseless act of vandalism uncovered by authorities Thursday morning.
At least 21 or 22 individual pieces of graffiti are apparent on the structure built in 1880 as one of the three oldest of Putnam County's nine covered bridges, Putnam County Sheriff's Department Chief Investigator Det. Pat McFadden said.
"It's graffitied up pretty badly," McFaddden said, indicating that vandals painted such things as pentagrams, swastikas, lewd drawings and phrases like "Hail Satin (sic)," undoubtedly in misspelled reference to Satan.
Unfortunately, authorities have no leads on the perpetrators at this time. McFadden is asking help from anyone who may have seen anybody or anything suspicious recently in the area of the bridge on County Road 500 South near Boone-Hutcheson Cemetery. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 653-3211 and follow the instructions to access the department tip line.
"We have absolutely nothing but the graffiti on the bridge to go on," McFadden told the Banner Graphic.
In other words, the vandalism bears no signature name or even a school or gang.
"I wish we had something that blatant out there," McFadden allowed.
The rudimentary drawings and choice of graffiti seem to point to young people, the veteran detective said.
"To be perfectly honest, I think it's kids. That's my gut feeling right now. They painted it up pretty good."
The detective did not have a damage estimate. Most of the cost will be clean-up, which is already being undertaken by the Putnam County Highway Department. Essentially that means manhours of elbow grease and power-washing with bleach to remove the vandas' handiwork.
Houck Bridge, which has been closed to traffic, was replaced by a new bridge in recent months in a $1.7 million project that rehabbed the covered bridge and built a new bypass span. It is apparently the only local bridge struck by vandals this week.
"So far this is it," McFadden said thankfully, acknowledging that if the vandals aren't caught, he fears "the other shoe will drop and they'll be more of these."
Also hoping that does not happen is Karla Lawless, executive director of the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which features the county's covered bridges as the centerpiece of its marketing efforts.
"As a resident of Putnam County I'm annoyed, disappointed and flabbergasted," Lawless said.
She recently appeared before the Putnam County Board of Commissioners to get their blessing on using the now pedestrians-only Houck Bridge for special activities, like renting it out for wedding or parties.
"We were just out there last week," Lawless said, "and it was so fresh and so clean and new. Here we are wanting to utilize this bridge and put some money back into the county, and this happens. Shame on these people."
She said the rude and lewd nature of some drawings and graffiti is "very unacceptable" and "an embarrassment" to the community.
It's more than a blatant disrespect for local history.
"They have no respect for people in general," Lawless fumed. "I'd like to find these kids and take them home to their parents. They don't even realize that their parents or other relatives are paying taxes (for upkeep) of these bridges."
"I can live with the occasional 'Johnny loves Susie,'" Lawless said of routine graffiti findings, "but this is totally unacceptable."