Old Woman Truss Bridge & Berry House
A community-submitted Section 106 Success Story in Sutton, West Virginia.
photo by: Elk River Hotel/Emilee Wilson
The Berry House is now a thriving hotel in the Sutton National Historic District in West Virginia.
The Old Woman Run Truss Bridge was built in the 1899 by the Canton Bridge Company in Canton, Ohio. The bridge, along with the neighboring historic Berry House (1898) are contributing structures in the Sutton National Historic District. Both structures are significant due to their association with industrial expansion and changes in transportation occurring in the late 19th century.
In the late 1990s, the Division of Highways (DOH) proposed to replace the bridge with a concrete pipe arch and realign the road near the Berry House. Being a roadway project, Section 106 review and public consultation were required.
The DOH donated the bridge to the HLC in 2000, and it has been used primarily for non-vehicular traffic on the Jeremiah Carpenter Trail in the Bee Run Recreational Area. In 2004, Old Woman Run, a stream in downtown Sutton that flows into the Elk River, flooded, and the waters washed the new bridge away.
What Would Have Been Lost
The bridge and house could both have been lost. The house itself is an important tourism destination and economic engine for the area. Had the road caused the house to be demolished, there would be no Elk River Hotel and Cafe. The bridge has already proven its value so there would have been no access route for vehicular travel during flooding that occurred in 2004. If enacted, the July 2026 proposed changes to the Section 106 regulations by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation would not involve stakeholder input until much later in the process, if at all, likely resulting in a different outcome for this project.
photo by: Elk River Hotel/Emilee Wilson
A view of the Old Woman Truss Bridge in 2026. The bridge is currently undergoing repairs and is closed to the public.
The steel truss bridge was unharmed, and the Braxton County HLC worked with the DOH to ensure the bridge was safe to be opened up for some vehicular traffic while the new bridge was rebuilt. While today the bridge is closed and is undergoing repairs Section 106 ensured its protection for future use. What happened to the Berry House? It was saved and is a very successful airbnb known as the Elk River Hotel and Cafe. The 10-room boutique style mansion was built in 1898 and sits along the Elk River in a picturesque setting.
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