Johnson Road Covered Bridge
Also known as: 35-40-06
Why it's listed
Johnson Road Covered Bridge carries a township road across the Little Scioto River in an isolated rural part of southwest Jackson County, Ohio. Built about 1870, it is a single-span wooden bridge with a six-panel Smith truss, 70 feet 11 inches long overall, with a roadway about 14 feet wide. It has vertical siding, a gabled metal roof, projecting portals and diagonal floor planks, and it rests on its original cut stone abutments. The truss follows Robert W. Smith's 1869 patent, with inclined braces and counterbraces meant to give strength with minimal material. Smith, born in Miami County in 1833, founded the Smith Bridge Company, later based in Toledo, and built many bridges across Ohio and the Midwest. This bridge is the only known surviving example of this patent type in the state. Most of Jackson County's 19th century covered bridges were Smith trusses, reflecting the firm's reputation in the area.
Significance in brief: The bridge is an example of a distinctive wooden truss type developed by Ohio bridge builder Robert W. Smith, built on his 1869 patent (#97,714). It is the only structure of this truss type known to exist in the state today, which makes it a rare example of 19th century wooden bridge technology.
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 84003749, listed August 23, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Johnson Rd., Petersburg |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | August 23, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003749 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Robert W. Smith |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition, unaltered and on its original site; the form marks the property as occupied and used for transportation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.95873, -82.78760 (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 84003749.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904050
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.