{"nrhp_refnum":"75001393","name":"Bright, John, Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"2.5 mi. SW of Baltimore over Poplar Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Baltimore","county":"Fairfield County","state":"OH","lat":39.83061599600006,"lon":-82.67304590599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-span covered bridge over Poplar Creek on Township Road 263, about 2.5 miles southwest of Baltimore in Liberty Township, Fairfield County, Ohio. It was built in 1881 by Aug Borneman and Sons and is owned by Fairfield County.","why_significant":"The nomination calls the bridge an outstanding example of 19th century engineering skills. Its truss is unusual: a wooden and steel combination with an inverted eye-bar suspension arch, and it is difficult even for covered bridge experts to describe. It is also described as an attractive bridge in a scenic setting that is well worthy of preservation.","narrative":"Spanning Poplar Creek on Township Road 263 southwest of Baltimore, Ohio, this 74-foot covered bridge was built in 1881 by Aug Borneman and Sons for $993.75. Its truss is highly unusual. Wooden end posts and five verticals carry an inverted steel eye-bar suspension arch, with a wooden arch set into the stone abutments, which have concrete reinforcements. Steel rods run down to the floor beams, and there is no lower chord. The bridge has high board-and-batten siding, a metal roof and straight portals, and its roadway is 13 feet 4 inches wide. The floor has two layers, one laid diagonally and one lengthwise. Borneman was linked to the Hocking Valley Bridge Works, which also built a nearby steel inverted-arch suspension bridge, so this one is called John Bright Bridge #2. The name comes from the Bright family, early settlers who owned much of the surrounding land. The bridge was listed for its engineering and transportation significance and remains in good condition.","period_of_significance":"1881 (19th century)","architect_builder":"Aug Borneman and Sons (Hocking Valley Bridge Works)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as being in good condition, recently painted red, and still in use for traffic over Poplar Creek.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.157053-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001393.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001393/3491992c1a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001393/3491992c1a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Jud McCranie","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bright_bridge_number_2,_Fairfield_Co,_Ohio,_US.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jud McCranie</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bright_bridge_number_2,_Fairfield_Co,_Ohio,_US.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988237","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82749451"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/fairfield-county/bright-john-covered-bridge-75001393/"}