{"nrhp_refnum":"76001517","name":"Harshman Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"4 mi. N of Fairhaven on Concord-Fairhaven Rd. spanning Four Mile Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fairhaven","county":"Preble County","state":"OH","lat":39.702573459000064,"lon":-84.76948448099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-09-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-span wooden Childs truss covered bridge carrying Concord-Fairhaven Road over Four Mile Creek, about four miles north of Fairhaven in Dixon Township, Preble County, Ohio. It was built in 1894 by Evrett S. Sherman.","why_significant":"It is the longest covered bridge in Preble County and a relatively rare example of the Childs truss, patented in 1846 by Horace Childs of New Hampshire. It is the work of bridge builder E. S. Sherman, who rebuilt many county bridges after the 1886 storm. It also reflects local road history, since the county built the road and bridge at the request of farmer John Harshman.","narrative":"Carrying Concord-Fairhaven Road over Four Mile Creek north of Fairhaven, this single-span covered bridge was built in 1894 by Evrett S. Sherman. It has vertical high-boarded siding, a metal roof, cut blue limestone abutments and projecting portals. The 12-panel Childs truss is 109 feet long and uses iron rods as counterbraces, an idea that was new when Horace Childs patented the design in 1846. Sherman, like Childs a native of New Hampshire, came to Preble County after the great storm of 1886 and was awarded contracts to rebuild wrecked bridges. The bridge is named for John Harshman, whose farm adjoined the site and who asked the county to reroute the road and span the creek. It is the longest covered bridge in the county. Repairs over the years included stronger floor-beam stirrups, added oak beams, a new roof in 1961 and repainting, and its appearance remains much as built.","period_of_significance":"1894","architect_builder":"Evrett S. Sherman","architectural_style":"Childs truss covered bridge (12-panel)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition with excellent maintenance, and still in use on a heavily traveled north-south road; owned by Preble County.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.110526-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/76001517.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001517/5228de1525-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001517/5228de1525-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jet Lowe","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harshman_Covered_Bridge.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Lowe</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harshman_Covered_Bridge.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991063","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harshman_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5673915"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/preble-county/harshman-covered-bridge-76001517/"}