Interurban Bridge
Also known as: Ohio Electric Railroad Bridge and Roche de Boeuf
Why it's listed
Spanning the Maumee River about a mile south of Waterville, this 1,220-foot reinforced concrete bridge joins Lucas and Wood Counties. Completed in 1908 by the National Bridge Company of Indianapolis under chief engineer J. M. Walker, it has 12 arched spans of "Roman Aqueduct" design, each 85 to 100 feet long, standing 43 feet above low water. Construction cost $130,000 and used 16,000 yards of concrete and 240 tons of steel. At completion it was regarded as the largest reinforced concrete bridge in the world. Built for the Ohio Electric Company and later run by the Lima and Toledo Traction Company, it carried an interurban trolley line that made the trip to Toledo in about twenty minutes. Highways and automobiles ended that service, and the bridge was abandoned in 1937. The structure also crosses Roche de Boeuf, a limestone outcropping where Ottawa people met French traders and where General Anthony Wayne crossed the river in August 1794, before the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
Significance in brief: The bridge was considered the largest reinforced concrete bridge in the world when completed in 1908 and is an early, very large example of that construction method. It carried an interurban trolley line linking Waterville and Toledo until abandonment in 1937. It also spans Roche de Boeuf, a limestone outcropping tied to Ottawa councils with French traders and to General Anthony Wayne's 1794 river crossing before the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
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 72001036, listed June 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. S of Waterville over Maumee River, Waterville |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | June 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001036 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1908 (20th Century) |
| Architect / builder | National Bridge Company of Indianapolis, Indiana (builder); J. M. Walker, chief engineer |
| Architectural style | "Roman Aqueduct" design |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned in 1937; condition listed as deteriorated, and the owner is the State of Ohio Department of Highways. A letter proposes using it as a landscaped pedestrian walkway in a local park project. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.48640, -83.72840 (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 72001036.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6057230
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.