{"nrhp_refnum":"76001547","name":"Harra Covered Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"2 mi. NW of Watertown on SR 172","address_restricted":false,"city":"Watertown","county":"Washington County","state":"OH","lat":39.487856269000076,"lon":-81.64778365599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-10-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-span wooden covered bridge of Long truss design carrying township road 172 over the south branch of Wolf Creek, about 2 miles northwest of Watertown in Washington County, Ohio. The original form dates it to about 1875, built by William Meredith and Sons of Marietta.","why_significant":"It is a surviving example of the Long truss, patented in 1830 and considered the first panel truss to use mathematical calculation. The form says it is one of only eight Long trusses left in Ohio. It also replaced a difficult creek ford and is described as a scenic, little-altered span still in good condition.","narrative":"Harra Covered Bridge is a single-span wooden covered bridge on township road 172, about two miles northwest of Watertown, Ohio, crossing the south branch of Wolf Creek. Built about 1875 by William Meredith of Marietta and his sons, it uses the Long truss plan, a ten-panel design with vertical board siding, a metal roof that replaced slate, and cut-stone abutments quarried on the nearby Harrah farm. The bridge is about 100 feet long and has a three-layer floor. Its name comes from the Harrah family, who owned that farm. Before it was built, travelers forded Wolf Creek about a mile downstream, which was difficult and dangerous at high water. The Long truss was patented in 1830 and was popular until the Howe truss displaced it around 1840. The nomination notes that this is one of only eight Long trusses remaining in Ohio. A later update credits a different builder and a date of 1878, and reports the bridge has since been by-passed.","period_of_significance":"about 1875","architect_builder":"William Meredith and Sons (William Meredith with sons Alta and Charlie); stonework by Billy Gamble. A 1986 update gives Rolla Merydith as builder in 1878, with stonework by Welker and Scott of Gallia County.","architectural_style":"Long truss covered bridge","criteria":[],"status_note":"The original form describes it as in good condition and still carrying daily traffic; a 1986 update says the bridge is now by-passed.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.212067-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/76001547.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001547/038fcf06f3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001547/038fcf06f3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Bwsmith84 (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harra_Covered_Bridge.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Bwsmith84 (talk)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harra_Covered_Bridge.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991943","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harra_Covered_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5663766"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/washington-county/harra-covered-bridge-76001547/"}