Eagle Creek Covered Bridge
Also known as: Bowman Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Carrying State Route 763 over Eagle Creek south of Decatur, this wooden covered bridge is a single-span Smith truss, 172 feet 6 inches long overall with a clear span of 164 feet 6 inches. It has vertical siding, a metal roof, straight portals and dry-laid limestone abutments with concrete reinforcement. The trusses are poplar and the floor is pine. It is a 14-panel, type 4 Smith truss, a design patented by Robert W. Smith of Ohio. The original nomination dates it to 1872, while later research credits the Smith Bridge Company with building it in 1875. It is known as the Bowman Bridge after a family that ran a general store at nearby Neel. The nomination lists it as the longest single-span covered bridge in Ohio, one of only 15 Smith trusses left in the state, and the only covered bridge still on the state highway system. The state rebuilt the floor and siding in 1952 without changing the basic structure.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the longest single-span covered bridge in Ohio and one of only 15 surviving Smith trusses in the state. It is also described as the last covered bridge remaining on the Ohio state highway system, out of about 95 in the late 1930s.
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 75001324, listed December 6, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3 mi. S of Decatur on OH 763, Decatur |
|---|---|
| County | Brown County |
| Listed | December 6, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001324 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1872) |
| Architect / builder | Smith truss designed by Robert W. Smith; built by the Smith Bridge Company (per 1986 update); abutments by Samuel Rees |
| Architectural style | Smith truss (type 4, 14-panel) covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | State-owned and in very good condition; renovated by the State Highway Department in 1952, with a new roof in 1963 and repainting in 1964. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.76974, -83.71490 (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 75001324.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q54958299
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.