Blackwood Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the middle branch of the Shade River on County Road 46 in Lodi Township, this covered bridge was built in 1881 using an eight-panel multiple kingpost truss. It is 85 feet long overall, with a 14-foot-2-inch roadway, vertical high-boarded siding, a metal roof, projecting portals and cut-stone abutments. Steel rods were added to the trusses in 1905, and a galvanized steel pier placed under the center in 1975 now carries the main load. The bridge takes its name from the Blackwood family, prominent landowners in the township. The multiple kingpost design was the most widely used wooden truss in early Ohio because an ordinary carpenter could erect it easily. The bridge was listed because it represents that common type and because it remains in a quiet, remote farming valley, with no nearby homes. The nomination notes that recent repairs should keep it in place for years to come.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an example of the multiple kingpost truss, the most commonly used wooden bridge truss in early Ohio. It is also described as one of Ohio's more remote covered spans, set in an unchanged agricultural valley. The state evaluated its significance as local.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002004, listed June 23, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Athens on SR 46, Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | June 23, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002004 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1881 |
| Architectural style | Multiple kingpost truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Athens County. Steel rods were added in 1905, and in 1975 a galvanized steel pier was placed under the center, which now carries the main load. The bridge still sits on its original cut-stone abutments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.19732, -81.97469 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002004.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60741963
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.