{"nrhp_refnum":"71000651","name":"Roberts Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"3 mi. S of Eaton over Seven Mile Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Eaton","county":"Preble County","state":"OH","lat":39.71151469100005,"lon":-84.62082491799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1971-09-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A covered timber bridge carrying Old Camden Road over Seven Mile Creek, about 3 miles south of Eaton in Preble County, Ohio, erected in 1829 as a toll bridge.","why_significant":"It is described as the oldest covered bridge in Ohio and the second oldest remaining in the United States. It is also the only covered two-lane (double-barrelled) bridge left in the state. Its three-truss design strengthened by Burr arches is unique in Ohio.","narrative":"Spanning Seven Mile Creek on Old Camden Road, about three miles south of Eaton, this covered bridge dates to 1829 and is regarded as the oldest surviving covered bridge in Ohio and the second oldest in the United States. Orlistus Roberts, who did not live to see it finished, and Joseph Campbell built it as a toll crossing for the privately owned Hamilton and Eaton Turnpike. It is the only two-lane covered span left in the state. Three trusses reinforced by Burr arches carry the roadway, with a clear span of 73 feet and an overall length of 91.5 feet. Poplar, white oak and beech timbers make up the frame, under a gable roof and horizontal siding. A flood, probably in 1886, damaged the north abutment, and its replacement shortened the span from 75 to 73 feet. The bridge remains in use and in good condition, although traffic moved long ago to nearby Ohio 127. A marker dedicated in 1962 honors Ohio covered bridges and their builders.","period_of_significance":"1829","architect_builder":"Orlistus Roberts and Joseph Campbell","architectural_style":"Burr arch truss covered bridge","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still in use and in good condition; it has been re-sided and re-floored.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.196518-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/71000651.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000651/1693f54f9b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/71000651/1693f54f9b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roberts_Covered_Bridge,_eastern_end.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roberts_Covered_Bridge,_eastern_end.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991053","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberts_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58904070"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/preble-county/roberts-covered-bridge-71000651/"}