South Salem Covered Bridge
Also known as: Buckskin Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Buckskin Creek just west of South Salem, this single-span wooden covered bridge carries Lower Twin Road and dates to 1873. Bids were opened that June, and the Smith Bridge Company won with the lowest offer, $18.75 per lineal foot, while Robert Matthews built the stone abutments. The structure is an 8-panel Smith truss, a design patented by Ohioan Robert W. Smith, with a 99-foot clear span and 115 feet overall. It has vertical board siding, a metal roof and projecting portals with square openings. Its outward appearance has changed little, though some floor joists were replaced in 1969 and repairs followed in 1971 and 1972. Also called the Buckskin Covered Bridge, it is the last covered bridge remaining in Ross County. Local residents wanted it preserved, and it still provides access to the village from the west.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as a surviving example of the Smith truss, an engineering type patented by Ohioan Robert W. Smith, built by the Smith Bridge Company. It is described as the last covered bridge in Ross County. It has also served the community of South Salem for over a century and still provides access to the village from the west.
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 75001530, listed March 4, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of South Salem on Lower Twin Rd. across Buckskin Creek, South Salem |
|---|---|
| County | Ross County |
| Listed | March 4, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001530 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1873 (19th Century) |
| Architect / builder | Smith Bridge Company (bridge); Robert Matthews (abutments) |
| Architectural style | Smith truss (type 2), wooden covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, largely unaltered and on its original site; some floor joists were replaced in 1969 and repairs were made in 1971 and 1972. Publicly owned and open to unrestricted public access. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.33435, -83.31434 (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 75001530.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7568361
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.