Bell Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Falls Creek on Bell Road in rural Washington County, Ohio, this 64-foot covered bridge was built in 1888 by Ebenezer B. Henderson, a prolific bridge builder and mason from Beverly. It has a wooden floor, sides and trusses, a metal gable roof and sandstone abutments anchored with wrought iron tie downs, a technique used in southeastern Ohio to resist flooding. The structure uses a multiple kingpost through truss, a design linked to Catherinus Buckingham's 1832 Y Bridge at Zanesville. Because the design was not patented, it was affordable and widely used in Ohio, and Henderson used it for 27 of his 28 bridges in the county. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1998 and repaired for termite damage in 2005. It remains on its original site in farmland and still carries local traffic. It was listed for its representation of nineteenth century bridge construction.
Significance in brief: The bridge is nominated under Criterion C as an example of nineteenth century bridge design and construction. It uses the multiple kingpost (Buckingham) truss, which was unpatented and popular in Ohio, and Henderson used it for 27 of his 28 Washington County bridges. It also has wrought iron tie downs, a flood-resistant technique used in southeastern Ohio.
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 12000836, listed October 3, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bell Rd., Vincent |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | October 3, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000836 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1888 |
| Architect / builder | Ebenezer B. Henderson |
| Architectural style | Other: Covered Multiple Kingpost through truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still open to traffic; rehabilitated in 1998, closed briefly in 2005 for termite repair, and reported in satisfactory condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.43114, -81.67610 (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 12000836.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716368
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.