Mt. Olive Road Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Mt. Olive Road Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge
in Vinton County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located northeast of Allensville, the bridge carries Mt. Olive Road through a valley in northwestern Vinton County. In the earliest days of white settlement of southern Ohio, the Mt. Olive Road was a major transportation artery; until about 1825, it was heavily used by travellers between Marietta
and Chillicothe
.
Built on stone pier
s and covered with a metal roof, the Mt. Olive Road Bridge is supported by a simple queen post truss
design. Its builder was local engineer George Washington Pilcher; a leading engineer in southeastern Ohio, Pilcher helped to built many other Vinton County covered bridges and contributed toward the construction of Manasseh Cutler Hall
on the campus of Ohio University
.
When the bridge was built, it lay amid land owned by a family named "Grandstaff"; because this family owned wide lands surrounding the bridge, it has also frequently been known as the "Grandstaff Bridge." Nevertheless, the name "Mt. Olive Road Bridge" persists; when it was named a historic site
in 1973, the designation was made under that name. This designation was that of placement on the National Register of Historic Places
, an honor shared by two other Vinton County covered bridges. It qualified for this distinction both because of its well-preserved historic engineering and because of its contribution to statewide history.
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 Vinton County
Vinton County, Ohio
Vinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,435. , the least populous in the state. Its county seat is McArthur. The county is named for Samuel Finley Vinton, a 19th-century United States Congressman from...
, 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 northeast of Allensville, the bridge carries Mt. Olive Road through a valley in northwestern Vinton County. In the earliest days of white settlement of southern Ohio, the Mt. Olive Road was a major transportation artery; until about 1825, it was heavily used by travellers between 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...
and Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
.
Built on stone pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
s and covered with a metal roof, the Mt. Olive Road Bridge is supported by a simple queen post truss
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
design. Its builder was local engineer George Washington Pilcher; a leading engineer in southeastern Ohio, Pilcher helped to built many other Vinton County covered bridges and contributed toward the construction of Manasseh Cutler Hall
Manasseh Cutler Hall, Ohio University
Manasseh Cutler Hall at Ohio University in the United States, was completed in 1819. This three story structure, topped by a wooden tower and cupola, is the oldest college building in the Old Northwest. It was named for Manasseh Cutler, a New England physician, botanist, and minister who wrote the...
on the campus of Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
.
When the bridge was built, it lay amid land owned by a family named "Grandstaff"; because this family owned wide lands surrounding the bridge, it has also frequently been known as the "Grandstaff Bridge." Nevertheless, the name "Mt. Olive Road Bridge" persists; when it was named a historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
in 1973, the designation was made under that name. This designation was that of placement 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...
, an honor shared by two other Vinton County covered bridges. It qualified for this distinction both because of its well-preserved historic engineering and because of its contribution to statewide history.