Covered bridge added to National Register

Landing on the National Register of Historic Places won’t protect Long Grove’s iconic covered bridge from ever being demolished, but its supporters say the designation by a federal agency affirms their preservation efforts and will provide some benefits. Dating to the early 1900s, the one- lane bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road received the designation June 15 from the National Park Service. The official word came to the village’s historical society about a year after it was recommended by the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council. Long Grove Historical Society member Aaron Underwood was among those celebrating. “From my point of view, getting it listed sort of solves that issue of is it worth preserving or not,” Underwood said. “Is it truly historic? It’s not just our word as the local historical society. It’s now been vetted by the state and the park service.”