Chambers Road Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Big Walnut Creek northeast of Olive Green in Porter Township, this one-span wooden covered bridge was built in 1874 by Evrett S. Sherman, a master bridge-builder who came to Ohio from New Hampshire. It uses the Childs truss, patented in 1846 by Horace Childs of Henniker, Vermont, which adds iron diagonal rods to a kingpost design. The bridge has seven panels, is 16 feet 6 inches wide with a 14-foot-6-inch roadway, and has vertical siding, a sheet metal roof and sharply projecting portals. It is recorded as the first known example of the Childs truss and the last covered bridge in Delaware County. Sherman later moved to Preble County, where he built 15 more Childs truss bridges. At the time of listing, the bridge was in fair condition. It needed repairs to its roof, siding, floor and abutments, and the county owner hoped a local group would take on its care.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the last covered bridge in Delaware County and the first known example of the Childs truss. It was built by master bridge-builder Evrett S. Sherman, who later built 15 Childs truss bridges in Preble County.
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 74001465, listed November 21, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1.5 mi. NE of Olive Green, Olive Green |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | November 21, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001465 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1874 |
| Architect / builder | Evrett S. Sherman |
| Architectural style | Childs truss covered bridge (7-panel) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; siding missing in places, metal roof old and in poor condition, floor and west abutment in need of repair. The county owns it and wants to preserve it if a local organization can take responsibility. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.33826, -82.81785 (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 74001465.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716385
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.