The New Paltz Historical Society welcomes Ron Knapp with his talk “Spanning the Wallkill: The First Covered Bridges in New Paltz in the 1820’s and Now.” This talk will present new information concerning three covered timber bridges erected along the Wallkill River in the 1820s, including the New Paltz Bridge, that once stood at the foot of Main Street, Perrine's Bridge, still standing on Route 213 in Rifton, and Phillies Bridge that crossed the Wallkill in Gardiner.  The presentation will feature historical and recent information about these bridges over time, down to the present.

Ronald G. Knapp was an historical-cultural geographer at State University of New York at New Paltz, where he taught from 1968 to 2001, retiring with the rank of SUNY distinguished professor emeritus. For the past forty-five years his research has focused on China's frontier history and Chinese vernacular architecture, including two books on Chinese bridges, including covered bridges in China. While attending a conference on covered bridges in China in 2005, he met an American covered-bridge enthusiast, Terry Miller, which led to their decision to write a book on American covered bridges. 

Ron, and co-author Terry Miller, along with photographer A. Chester Ong, published "America's Covered Bridges: Practical Crossings, Nostalgic Icons" in 2014.  David W. Wright, President, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges said "America's Covered Bridges" is a book every covered bridge enthusiast will want to own. Amongst numerous other virtues, the book is profusely illustrated with both historic and contemporary photographs."