Twin Arch Stone Culvert
Why it's listed
Near Troy in Miami County, Ohio, a twin-arch limestone culvert once let a small ditch pass beneath the Miami-Erie Canal and drain into the Great Miami River. It was built in 1837 as part of the extension of the original Miami Canal. Each arch has a radius of seven and a half feet and is formed of limestone voussoirs. The structure is 96 feet wide and 35 feet long, with wing walls adding 20 feet. Its foundation was dug under water and rests on rock or on wooden pilings driven to bedrock. Samuel Forrer served as principal engineer on the extension and David Bates as resident engineer. The contract went first to Loring Brownell and Norman Sumner, and John Kleine completed the work using German immigrant laborers. Only one other similar canal structure, the Turtle Creek Culvert in Shelby County, is known in Ohio. The culvert is now abandoned, silted and partly shifted by floods. A road project that threatened it was redesigned to preserve it.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a unique segment of the Ohio canal system and links it to important canal engineers, including Samuel Forrer and David Bates. Only one other similar canal structure, the Turtle Creek Culvert in Shelby County, is known in the state, and it is in an advanced state of disrepair.
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 78002142, listed July 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Troy at SR 25A, Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Miami County |
| Listed | July 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002142 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1837-1913 |
| Architect / builder | Contract awarded to Loring R. Brownell and Norman Sumner; completed by John Kleine. Principal engineer Samuel Forrer; resident engineer David Bates. |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as abandoned and unoccupied, in fair condition; badly silted, with some stones dislodged by river flooding and part of one wing wall slipped out of position. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.08796, -84.22320 (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.
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 78002142.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.