Palos Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the east fork of Sunday Creek one mile north of Glouster, this covered bridge carries township road 347 in Athens County, Ohio. It is a single-span wooden truss structure, 81 feet long with a clear span of about 73 feet, and has vertical board siding, a metal roof, cut-stone abutments and slightly projecting portals. Its design is a ten-panel modified multiple kingpost truss, a type that was once the most common in Ohio. Iron rods on the kingposts near the ends and wooden counterbraces forming X panels at the center were evidently added later to strengthen it. The road it serves does not appear in an 1875 county atlas, so construction likely dates to the late 1870s or early 1880s. The roof was replaced after a 1960 windstorm, a steel substructure was added in 1971, and new siding was installed in 1975. Painted deep red, it remains in daily use and is a familiar sight to travelers along State Route 13.
Significance in brief: The bridge is an authentic timber truss covered bridge built on the multiple kingpost plan, once the most common bridge truss in Ohio. Its later engineering additions, such as iron rods and counterbraces strengthening the trusses, are of interest. It is a landmark near SR 13 that still carries daily traffic.
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 77001041, listed November 11, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. N of Gloucester off OH 13, Glouster |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | November 11, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001041 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use, carrying daily traffic, and well maintained by the Athens County Engineer; siding replaced in 1975 and a steel substructure added in 1971. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.52526, -82.07187 (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 77001041.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q60742767
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.