Black River Viaduct, Baltimore And Ohio Railroad
Why it's listed
Near Lodi in Medina County, Ohio, a three-arch stone viaduct carries Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks over the West Fork of the Black River. Built between 1890 and 1892, it has semicircular arches about fifty feet across, with evenly sized voussoirs and no emphasized keystones. The walls are regular horizontal courses of slightly rusticated sandstone. The center arch crosses the stream on short vertical piers, while the two end arches spring from the banks and span unpaved paths. A slightly projecting sill course at the top is the only real ornament. The viaduct belongs to the Akron division, a new stretch of line built from Akron to Chicago Junction (Willard, Ohio) as part of the railroad's direct route to Chicago, completed by 1893. The nomination values it as a monumental masonry engineering work whose plain Roman form shows nineteenth-century building skill, and as a link on the main line between Chicago and the East. The form lists it as unaltered and still in service.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a monumental masonry civil engineering work whose simple Roman form reflects the skill of nineteenth-century American builders. It carries a vital link on the Baltimore and Ohio main line connecting Chicago with the East. Its stone construction, rather than fabricated steel, is compared with the Brandywine Viaduct at Wilmington, Delaware.
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 76001488, listed May 6, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 mi. W of Lodi off OH 421, Lodi |
|---|---|
| County | Medina County |
| Listed | May 6, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001488 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1890-1892 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as part of the railroad main line; the form marks it unaltered and occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.02737, -82.04115 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 76001488.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138569952
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.