Brubaker Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning a creek west of Gratis in Preble County, Ohio, this 85-foot covered bridge was built in 1887 by Evrett S. Sherman. It uses the Childs truss, patented in 1846 by Horace Childs, which combines multiple kingposts with iron bars as diagonal counterbraces. The bridge rests on cut limestone abutments and has a low-pitched gabled roof, a 15-foot roadway and partial vertical siding. Ohio holds the only known covered bridges of this type in the country, and seven of the eight survivors are in Preble County. Sherman, a New Hampshire native living in Eaton, began a ten-year run of bridge building after a storm in 1886 washed out many crossings, erecting 15 in the county. He standardized his truss members and prefabricated parts in his Eaton yard during the off season. Later changes include removal of some siding in 1936 for visibility, an oak runway over the beech floor beams, partial metal roofing and pointed abutments.
Significance in brief: The bridge is an example of the little-known Childs truss, which used iron bars as diagonal counterbraces in multiple kingpost construction. Ohio has the only known covered bridges of this type in the nation, and seven of the eight remaining are in Preble County. It is also tied to Sherman, who built 15 bridges in the county after an 1886 storm.
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 75001527, listed June 11, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Gratis on Aukerman Creek Rd., Gratis |
|---|---|
| County | Preble County |
| Listed | June 11, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001527 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1887 |
| Architect / builder | Evrett S. Sherman (builder); Horace Childs (inventor of the Childs truss) |
| Architectural style | Childs truss covered bridge (multiple kingpost with iron tie rods) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, altered, on its original site; owned by Preble County and open to the public without restriction as a transportation structure. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.65163, -84.54398 (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 75001527.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4976990
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.