Scottown Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Indian Guyan Creek on county road 67, this 1874 covered bridge sits half a mile east of the crossroads community of Scottown in Lawrence County, Ohio. It is a single-span wooden truss, 88 feet long overall with a roadway about 13 feet wide. Its truss is an unusual variation on the multiple kingpost, with added braces and counterbraces in the center panels and a segmented arch on each side of each truss. Hand-adze marks are still visible on some timbers. Over time the bridge gained steel rods, channels, gussets and I-beams, concrete at the abutment seats, and sheet metal siding and roof; the roof was last replaced in 1971. It is the last covered bridge in the county and the southernmost in Ohio, and it lies within the historic Hanging Rock Iron Region. The builder is unknown. It was listed as an outstanding example of nineteenth-century engineering.
Significance in brief: The bridge is the last covered bridge in Lawrence County and the southernmost covered bridge in Ohio. Its truss is an unusual adaptation of the basic multiple kingpost, and it lies within the historic Hanging Rock Iron Region. The nomination calls it an outstanding example of 19th century engineering skills.
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 75001456, listed November 12, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Scottown on SR 67, Scottown |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | November 12, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001456 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Adaptation of the basic multiple kingpost truss |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition; roof replaced in 1971; sheet metal siding and roof; reinforced with steel and concrete; occupied/in use as a public road bridge. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.54785, -82.38011 (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 75001456.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904076
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.