Construction began on a bridge over the Whitewater River in 1858, but was delayed several years by the Civil War.
In 1868, around the time that Bollinger completed his mill, the town of Burfordville was created and construction was completed on the bridge, making the Burfordville bridge the oldest of the four surviving covered bridges in Missouri.
The bridge, built by Cape Girardeau builder Joseph Lansmon as part of the Macadamized Road Company toll road, is 140 feet (43 m) long and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide with a clearance of 14 feet (4.3 m).
It is a Howe truss made of locally cut yellow poplar.
As part of the toll road, the bridge originally included a toll booth on the east end, which was used until 1906.

Around 1900, the bridge had fallen into disrepair, with some missing siding and a partially collapsed roof.
The county spent $390 to repair the bridge in 1908, and it was once again restored in 1950 when a metal roof was added.
In 1967, the same year the mill was donated to the state, the Missouri State Park system began maintaining the four remaining covered bridges in the state.
 The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, one year before it was restored by the park service, at which time the metal roof was replaced with wooden shingles.

In 1986, the Whitewater River reached record levels, 17 inches over the deck of the bridge, which damaged the bridge and resulted in its closure to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
 The bridge remained closed until 1998 when repairs to lower trusses, support timbers, and vertical iron rods made it possible to reopen the bridge to pedestrian traffic.
Construction began on a bridge over the Whitewater River in 1858, but was delayed several years by the Civil War. In 1868, around the time that Bollinger completed his mill, the town of Burfordville was created and construction was completed on the bridge, making the Burfordville bridge the oldest of the four surviving covered bridges in Missouri. The bridge, built by Cape Girardeau builder Joseph Lansmon as part of the Macadamized Road Company toll road, is 140 feet (43 m) long and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide with a clearance of 14 feet (4.3 m). It is a Howe truss made of locally cut yellow poplar. As part of the toll road, the bridge originally included a toll booth on the east end, which was used until 1906.
Around 1900, the bridge had fallen into disrepair, with some missing siding and a partially collapsed roof. The county spent $390 to repair the bridge in 1908, and it was once again restored in 1950 when a metal roof was added. In 1967, the same year the mill was donated to the state, the Missouri State Park system began maintaining the four remaining covered bridges in the state.  The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, one year before it was restored by the park service, at which time the metal roof was replaced with wooden shingles.
In 1986, the Whitewater River reached record levels, 17 inches over the deck of the bridge, which damaged the bridge and resulted in its closure to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  The bridge remained closed until 1998 when repairs to lower trusses, support timbers, and vertical iron rods made it possible to reopen the bridge to pedestrian traffic.
Bollinger Mill State Historic Site