Dresden Suspension Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Muskingum River at the eastern edge of Dresden, this suspension bridge carries State Routes 208 and 666 across three spans totaling 705 feet. Two steel towers, each 68.5 feet high, support eye-bar cables that hold up a Warren pony truss and a 20-foot-wide roadway. The original latticework guard railings survive. The bridge was built in 1914 after a major flood in the spring of 1913 destroyed an earlier suspension bridge on the same site, erected in 1853 and described as the oldest suspension bridge west of the Alleghenies. Muskingum County Commissioners let the contracts. J.A. Swingle of Zanesville built the substructure, and the Bellefontaine Bridge and Steel Co. of Bellefontaine, Ohio, built the superstructure. It was listed for its engineering significance and its long role in the transportation network of the upper Muskingum Valley. It is owned by the State of Ohio and remains in use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant as an engineering structure that has served the transportation needs of the upper Muskingum River area since it was erected. It replaced an 1853 bridge, described as the oldest suspension bridge west of the Alleghenies, that was wrecked in the 1913 flood. It remains part of the valley's engineering heritage.
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 78002153, listed December 1, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | OH 208 and OH 666, Dresden |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | December 1, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002153 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Bellefontaine Bridge & Steel Co. (superstructure); J.A. Swingle Construction Co. (substructure) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in public ownership (State of Ohio); condition marked good and altered; open to the public without restriction; used for transportation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.12056, -82.00018 (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 78002153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q114064305
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.