Everett Covered Bridge (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)

Everett Covered Bridge is located on Furnace Run west of the namesake community in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The structure is thought to have been originally built sometime between the 1870s and early 1880s. The span was swept away by floods in 1975 and was eventually rebuilt as a National Park Service project in 1986. The structure is the last Covered Bridge in Summit County and until recently served as the junction of several roads.

The history of Everett Covered Bridge

Everett Covered Bridge lies to the west of the namesake community and the Ohio & Erie Canal on Furnace Run. The exact date of construction of the structure is unknown but it is thought to have been built during the 1870s or early 1880s. The design of the bridge is based off the 1869 Smith Truss design.

Everett Covered Bridge can be seen along Everett Road (blue pin) at Furnace Run on the 1903 United States Geological Survey Map of Akron. The structure is shown to serve as the junction of Wheatly Road, Everett Road and Oak Hill Road.

Everett Covered Bridge was damaged by floods during in 1913. The then damaged structure can be seen prior to repairs in a National Park Service photo.

Everett Covered Bridge was damaged by a truck in 1970 but repaired. Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area was declared in December 1974 which brought the structure into scope of responsibility for the National Park Service. The bridge swept downstream by floods in 1975. Numerous local interests began raising funds to reconstruct the bridge. The reconstructed span was completed by the National Park Service in 1986 and reopened to traffic.

Everett Covered Bridge can be seen again functioning as the fork in Everett Road, Oak Hill Road and Wheatley Road on the 1994 United States Geological Survey map of Peninsula. During October 2000 Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area would become a National Park.

Portions Everett Road, Oak Hill Road and Meirs Road west of Furnace Run were recently closed to traffic. These segments of road have since been repurposed as the Riding Run Trail and Perkins Bridle Trail.

Part 2; a visit to Everett Covered Bridge

Everett Covered Bridge can be found by following Everett Road west of Riverview Road to a trailhead.

From the trailhead it is a short walk over the abandoned portion of Everett Road to the bridge.

West of Furnace Run the now overgrowing branch in Oak Hill Road (left) and Everett Road (right) can be seen.

The same junction during Fall 2014 before the asphalt had been removed.

East of Furnace Run the original beginning westbound Wheatley Road can be easily found.

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