{"nrhp_refnum":"98000442","name":"Rodrick Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"N of Granville Rd., between Hall Ave. and Village Dr. W","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newark","county":"Licking County","state":"OH","lat":40.068165133000036,"lon":-82.44056640499997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-05-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-span cast and wrought iron Whipple bowstring truss bridge, 101 feet 6 inches long, built in 1872 in Coshocton County and relocated in 1996-1997 to the Ohio State University Newark campus in Newark, Licking County, Ohio.","why_significant":"The bridge is significant under Criterion C as an example of the cast and wrought iron Whipple bowstring truss, a type patented by Squire Whipple in 1841. It was built by the Coshocton Iron Works, one of few known bridges of this type outside New York. Only about four Whipple bowstring truss bridges were known to survive in the United States as of 1991. It meets the moved-property consideration because it keeps its integrity of materials, design, craftsmanship, association and feeling.","narrative":"Built in 1872 by the Coshocton Iron Works, this 101-foot-6-inch bridge is a Whipple bowstring truss, a design patented by Squire Whipple in 1841 that pairs curved cast-iron compression chords with wrought-iron tension rods and braces. It originally crossed Wills Creek in Coshocton County, where flooding, debris, vandalism and fire badly damaged it, and it was closed to traffic in 1975. Rather than lose it, the bridge was taken apart piece by piece in 1996-1997. Parts were cleaned, cracked castings were brazed or recast, corroded rods were replaced, and a new white oak deck was laid. It now spans a drainage ditch on the Ohio State University Newark campus as part of a bike and pedestrian trail. It is listed for its engineering and architectural value as one of very few surviving Whipple bowstring trusses, and it keeps enough original material and design to convey that early bridge-building technique.","period_of_significance":"1872","architect_builder":"Coshocton Iron Works (original); J. B. Riddel and Associates (renovation); Kel-Par Construction (renovation and move)","architectural_style":"Other: Whipple Bowstring Truss","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Dismantled, repaired and relocated in 1996-1997 to serve as part of a bike/pedestrian trail; a new deck was installed and a railing was planned.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.893891-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/98000442.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000442/c5387c952b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000442/c5387c952b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Elliott, Joe, creator","credit_html":"Elliott, Joe, creator, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GENERAL_VIEW_OF_WEST_SIDE_-_Rodrick_Bridge,_Spanning_Wills_Creek,_Otsego,_Muskingum_County,_OH_HAER_OHIO,60-OTSE.V,1-12_(CT).tif"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989724","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q122364687"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/licking-county/rodrick-bridge-98000442/"}