Harra Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Harra Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge
in Washington County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located in western Watertown Township
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the community of Watertown
, the bridge spans the South Branch of Wolf Creek near the intersection of State Route 339
and Township Road 172. Among the bridge's more distinctive features are its cut stone
abutments, its metal roof, and the vertical siding. Although it has been open for well over one hundred years, it remains in strong structural condition, and it served daily traffic into the late twentieth century.
A single-span
structure completed in 1875, the bridge was constructed under the leadership of Marietta
bridge builder William Meredith. One of his primary employees was stonemason
Billy Gamble, who used locally-quarried stone to construct the abutment
s. The source for this stone was the farm of James Harrah, whose name (minus its final letter) was given to the bridge. The plan for the bridge used the Long truss design; fewer than ten historic Long truss bridges remain in Ohio today. In 1976, the Harra Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, qualifying both because of its historically significant architecture and because of its importance in the history of Ohio
.
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
in Washington County
Washington County, Ohio
Washington County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,778. Its county seat is Marietta. The county, the oldest in the state, is named for George Washington. Washington County is included in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna, West Virginia-Ohio...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in western Watertown Township
Watertown Township, Washington County, Ohio
Watertown Township is one of the twenty-two townships of Washington County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,563 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northwestern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the community of Watertown
Watertown, Ohio
Watertown is an unincorporated community in southwestern Watertown Township, Washington County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 45787...
, the bridge spans the South Branch of Wolf Creek near the intersection of State Route 339
Ohio State Route 339
State Route 339 is a north–south state highway in southeastern Ohio, a U.S. state. The southern terminus of SR 339 is at SR 618 approximately west of Belpre, and less than south of the U.S. Route 50 /SR 7/SR 32 expressway...
and Township Road 172. Among the bridge's more distinctive features are its cut stone
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
abutments, its metal roof, and the vertical siding. Although it has been open for well over one hundred years, it remains in strong structural condition, and it served daily traffic into the late twentieth century.
A single-span
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
structure completed in 1875, the bridge was constructed under the leadership of Marietta
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
bridge builder William Meredith. One of his primary employees was stonemason
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
Billy Gamble, who used locally-quarried stone to construct the abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s. The source for this stone was the farm of James Harrah, whose name (minus its final letter) was given to the bridge. The plan for the bridge used the Long truss design; fewer than ten historic Long truss bridges remain in Ohio today. In 1976, the Harra Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, qualifying both because of its historically significant architecture and because of its importance in the history of Ohio
History of Ohio
The history of Ohio includes many thousands of years of human activity. What is now Ohio was probably first settled by Paleo-Indian peoples, who lived in the area as early as 13,000 BCE. Later ancestors of Native Americans were known as the Archaic peoples...
.