If you want one word to characterize the mill and covered bridge at the Bollinger Mill Historic Site, that one word would have to be “picturesque.”
However, one word doesn’t quite give it justice and probably shortchanges this gorgeous place to a humiliating degree. 
So I enlisted the aid of my dictionary and came up with a few more words for “picturesque,” such as something of skillful design (I like that one) or something marked by beauty or elegance (that’s a good one), or something that is pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned (I really liked that one) and while you look at the photos that accompany this article, it should be plain for you to see what I mean.
The mill itself is a magnificent, stately four-story structure that not only flaunts an impressive appearance but possesses a fascinating history encompassing nearly two hundred years. The covered bridge, though not as old as the mill, is equally magnificent and stately and also boasts a remarkable history.
The mill was built by a gentleman by the name of George Bollinger who came to the area in 1800. The mill was originally constructed with logs along with the dam whi
ch stretches across the Whitewater River. In 1825, the mill and the dam were rebuilt using stone.
During the Civil War, Union soldiers burned the mill to keep it from falling into Confederate hands. After the war, it was sold to Solomon Burford who rebuilt it in 1867. 
It was around this time that the town of Burfordville was formed, since a mill such as this one would naturally attract people who would settle around the area. The covered bridge was erected in 1868 which linked the emerging town to the main road, and the town grew even more. Records show that there was even a toll house at one end of the bridge.
When you visit this area, you get a double-whammy of sorts because the mill and the covered bridge are right next to each other. Both of them are on the National Register of Historic Places. We have four covered bridges in our state and this one, which is called the Burfordville Covered Bridge, is the oldest.
