{"nrhp_refnum":"78002131","name":"Caledonia Bowstring Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"N of Caledonia","address_restricted":false,"city":"Caledonia","county":"Marion County","state":"OH","lat":40.64266437800006,"lon":-82.96539980599994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-05-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 104-foot-long, 16-foot-wide wrought iron bowstring arch-truss bridge built in 1873 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. It was moved in 1976 and now spans the Olentangy River in the Caledonia village park, Marion County, Ohio.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the bridge represents an important segment of engineering history in Ohio and the Midwest because of its rare metal bowstring arch-truss type and its fabrication by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company. Its \"Column and Channel Arch Bridge\" design was patented in 1873 by company employees. Reviewers noted that although it has been moved, it retains integrity of design and will serve as a park entrance.","narrative":"This 104-foot wrought iron bridge, built in 1873 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, is a bowstring arch-truss. Its arches use Phoenix-type columns riveted from four flanged segments, with lattice girders providing lateral bracing and a wooden deck carried on floor beams. The design, called the Column and Channel Arch Bridge, was patented in 1873 by David Hammond, Job Abbott and Michael Adler, all employees of the company. The firm grew into one of the nation's leading metal bridge fabricators and promoted wrought iron over wood and cast iron. The bridge first crossed the Scioto River in Marion County. After it was closed to traffic because it could not meet modern load capacities, the county engineer's office moved it to Caledonia in 1976. It now rests on concrete piers and steel I-beams over the Olentangy River, where the village planned to use it as a park entrance. It was recognized for its rare type and engineering importance.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Wrought Iron Bridge Company","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Moved in 1976 by the county engineer's office from its original site over the Scioto River; the deck had not yet been completely replaced and the county's modern steel guardrails were removed. The village planned to use it as the entrance to a community park.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.078088-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/78002131.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002131/3137c183f6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002131/3137c183f6-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caledonia_Bowstring_Bridge.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caledonia_Bowstring_Bridge.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990181","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonia_Bowstring_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5019370"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/marion-county/caledonia-bowstring-bridge-78002131/"}