{"nrhp_refnum":"74000771","name":"Mary's River Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"About 4 mi. NE of Chester on IL 150","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chester","county":"Randolph County","state":"IL","lat":37.94860535000004,"lon":-89.76580527099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-12-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A covered timber bridge completed in 1854 over the Little Mary's River, about 4 miles northeast of Chester in Randolph County, Illinois, now in a roadside picnic area beside Illinois Route 150.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as a rare surviving covered bridge, thought to be the second oldest in Illinois and the only one of its type left in Southern Illinois. It was part of a privately financed plank toll road that linked Bremen to the Mississippi River trading town of Chester. The form also credits the early builders' use of a cover to protect the structure from deterioration.","narrative":"Mary's River Covered Bridge is an 86-foot timber span completed in 1854 over the Little Mary's River, northeast of Chester, Illinois. Built of hand-hewn native white oak, it uses a Burr Arch design with double arches on either side of the King posts. It is 17 feet 8 inches wide with 12 feet of vertical clearance and rests on its original stone abutments. Most of the original timber survives, though the floor, joists, roof and siding have been replaced and steel channels now support the lower chord. The bridge carried a planked toll road between Bremen and Chester, built so wheat, corn and lumber could reach river boats at Chester. A Mr. Hartmann financed the road and bridge, and the county bought them between 1870 and 1875. The bridge was in constant use until 1930. It is thought to be the second oldest covered bridge in Illinois and the only one of its type remaining in Southern Illinois. It now sits in a picnic area maintained by the state.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1853)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Burr Arch design with double arches on either side of the King posts","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition and altered. Maintained by the state Division of Highways in a public picnic area. Floor, floor joists, roof and siding have been replaced, and steel channels support the lower chord.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.482466-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/43/8939/28893943/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/74000771.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74000771/2e6ea54a5f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74000771/2e6ea54a5f-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary%27s_River_Covered_Bridge.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary%27s_River_Covered_Bridge.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28893943","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_River_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15249510"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/randolph-county/marys-river-covered-bridge-74000771/"}