Netcher Road Covered Bridge - Ashtabula County, Ohio

Of all of the covered bridges found around Ashtabula County, Ohio, the Netcher Road Covered Bridge located in Jefferson, Ohio was the last covered bridge built in the county during the 20th Century, opening to the public in August 1999. Just a few years younger than the nearby Smolen-Gulf Bridge, the Netcher Bridge is built with a Haupt truss design and features what is best described as a neo-Victorian exterior look. The Netcher Road Covered Bridge crosses Mill Creek is 110 feet in length, 22 feet in width and 14 feet, 6 inches tall, which can easily withstand the height clearance of most vehicles. Designed by then-Ashtabula County Engineer John Smolen with an architectural design by local architect Beverly Cowles of Jefferson, Ohio, the covered bridge cost $819,050 and was funded through a Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act grant.

John Smolen himself chose the Haupt truss design for the bridge, a design originally used in railroad design and created by Herman Haupt of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1854. Richter Construction of Columbus, Ohio won the bid to construct the covered bridge, while the 24 ton trusses for the covered bridge were fabricated in Ripley, West Virginia. Southern pine was used for the interior bridge construction, namely the arches, walls, floor and roof. Yellow poplar was used for the covered bridge's siding. The covered bridge was stained red and trimmed in a cream color, since painted white. The light trim makes the cupolas above the bridge's portals certainly stand out. The architectural highlights of the bridge include cupolas with copper roofs at each end.

I visited the Netcher Road Covered Bridge while chipping away at my list of seeing the many covered bridges in Ashtaubla County. The cupola and siding design for this bridge are what really make it stand out, especially as it is a design feature I don't really come across when seeing covered bridges around the Northeastern United States. The Netcher Road Covered Bridge is certainly worth the quick visit if you are exploring covered bridges in northeast Ohio.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
Ashtabula County Barn Quilt Trail - Netcher Road
Ashtabula County Ohio Visitors Bureau - Netcher Road Covered Bridge
The Pennsylvania Rambler - Netcher Road Covered Bridge
My Ohio Fun - Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Tour
Tom The Backroads Traveller - The Netcher Road Covered Bridge
Ashtabula Star Beacon - Netcher Road: The last covered bridge built over Mill Creek (April 12, 2009)

Comments

Old US Route 60/70 through Hell (Chuckwall Valley Road and Ragsdale Road)

Back in 2016 I explored some of the derelict roadways of the Sonoran Desert of Riverside County which were part of US Route 60/70; Chuckwalla Valley Road and Ragsdale Road. US 60 and US 70 were not part of the original run of US Routes in California. According to USends.com US 60 was extended into California by 1932. US 60 doesn't appear on the California State Highway Map until the 1934 edition. USends.com on US 60 endpoints 1934 State Highway Map Conversely US 70 was extended into California by 1934, it first appears on the 1936 State Highway Map. USends.com on US 70 endpoints 1936 State Highway Map When US 60 and US 70 were extended into California they both utilized what was Legislative Route Number 64 from the Arizona State Line west to Coachella Valley. LRN 64 was part of the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act routes. The original definition of LRN 64 routed between Mecca in Blythe and wasn't extended to the Arizona State Line until 1931 acc...

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign. These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare. This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade. We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others? Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers. The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California. Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...

Paper Highways; Interstate H-4 through downtown Honolulu

The Hawaiian Island of O'ahu is home to four Interstate Highways; H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-201. Had history gone slightly differently during the 1960s a fifth Interstate corridor on O'ahu could have been constructed through downtown Honolulu and the neighborhood of Waikiki. The proposed corridor of Interstate H-4 can be seen above as it was presented by the Hawaii Department of Transportation during October 1968 . This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page. All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html The history of proposed Interstate H-4 The corridor of Interstate H-4 was conceived as largely following what is now Hawaii Route 92 on Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard. Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II. Dur...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog