Lynchburg Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the east fork of the Little Miami River at Lynchburg, this wooden covered bridge carries the Clinton-Highland County line through its middle. John C. Gregg of Hillsboro, a well-known local bridge builder, completed it in 1870 at a cost of $3,138.66, with the two counties sharing construction and maintenance costs equally. It is a ten-panel Long truss, 120 feet long overall, with vertical board siding, straight portals and cut-stone abutments. The Long truss, patented in 1830 by Col. Stephen H. Long, was considered the first panel truss to use mathematical calculations. Only eight Long trusses remain in Ohio, and this is the state's only inter-county covered bridge. A new steel bridge bypassed it in 1969, prompting residents to form a preservation society. A February 1974 windstorm stripped much of the roof and some siding, and the bridge was closed to all traffic, though its trusses still seemed sturdy and straight.
Significance in brief: The bridge is one of only eight Long trusses left in Ohio, one of only three covered bridges in the Highland-Clinton County area, and the state's only inter-county covered bridge. It is also one of the few remaining village bridges in Ohio. The Long truss was patented in 1830 and is considered the first panel truss into which mathematical calculations entered.
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 76001456, listed March 16, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | East Fork of Little Miami River, Lynchburg |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | March 16, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001456 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1870 |
| Architect / builder | John C. Gregg |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Damaged by a windstorm in February 1974 that tore off much of the roof and some siding; trusses appeared sturdy and the bridge was closed to all traffic pending repairs, which had not been made. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.24507, -83.79443 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 76001456.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6708472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.