The Great Bridge-Building Contest

By Bo Zaunders

A furniture maker's bridge design defies expectations and changes history.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 23 ratings

32 pages

$16.95Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1800s Virginia, Lemuel Chenoweth, a humble furniture maker with a mere third-grade education, enters a prestigious bridge-design contest. Against all odds, his nail-less bridge model astounds judges and competitors alike, supporting his own weight and winning the contest. This remarkable structure not only becomes a national icon but also witnesses the first land battle of the Civil War. Discover the dramatic tale of ingenuity and perseverance in 'The Great Bridge-Building Contest,' where dreams defy limitations and history is made.

From the publisher

Part David Macaulay’s “The Way Things Work and part Johnny Appleseed, a captivating true story about a dream that came true Roxie Munro and her husband, Bo Zaunders, have created an enthralling illustrated biography set in 1800s Virginia, a wonderful book for budding architects and engineers, as well as bridge and history aficionados. Lemuel Chenoweth is a shy western Virginia furniture maker with only a third-grade education and a vision when he heads to Richmond, Virginia, to enter a bridge-designing contest. Lemuel stuns the judges and the highfalutin’ competition by assembling an extraordinary bridge model, one that can support his own weight, and he wins. Built entirely without nails, his bridge became one of the most famous in the country and was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War. “The Great Bridge-Building Contest tells the dramatic story of its remarkable existence.

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