Otway Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Scioto Brush Creek at Otway in Scioto County, Ohio, this covered bridge was built in 1874 to replace a ford. The county commissioners accepted a bid from the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo for the superstructure, while local labor, a nearby sawmill and a stonemason supplied the rest. The main span is 127 feet long, with yellow poplar siding, a sheet metal roof and cut stone abutments. It uses the Smith truss, patented in 1869 by Robert W. Smith, with arches and steel rods added in 1896. An 81-foot steel span on the east end, built in 1923, replaced an open wooden span over an old mill race. The bridge is regarded as one of the best surviving Smith trusses in Ohio and an excellent example of late 19th century engineering. A community society formed in 1960 to save it from being bypassed, and the Ohio Historical Society dedicated a marker there in 1963.
Significance in brief: The bridge is described as an excellent example of late 19th century engineering and one of the best Smith trusses left in Ohio. It was built to a truss design patented by Robert W. Smith in 1869. It is also valued locally and has been preserved by a community society since 1960.
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 74002280, listed May 3, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of OH 348, Otway |
|---|---|
| County | Scioto County |
| Listed | May 3, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002280 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1874 |
| Architect / builder | Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio (superstructure); W. H. Wheeler (masonry); Nicholas Schakert, county commissioner, supervised construction |
| Architectural style | Smith truss, type 3, covered wooden bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Stated to be in good condition and being preserved as an historic site by a local society; the form also says its appearance has changed little over the years. |
| Acreage | 3.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.86275, -83.18994 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 74002280.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904062
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.