Parker Covered Bridge
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Spanning the Sandusky River about five miles northeast of Upper Sandusky, this covered bridge was built in 1873 by J. C. Davis and is named for nearby landowners. It is a single-span, 16-panel Howe truss, 172 feet long with a clear span of 161 feet 4 inches. The Howe design, patented in 1840, replaced the wooden verticals of the earlier Long truss with adjustable iron rods, an advance that ended the all-wooden truss. The bridge has vertical board siding with battens, projecting portals, stone abutments and a wooden shingle roof, all painted covered-bridge red. It was thoroughly renovated in 1966, including a new roof. The nomination describes it as an outstanding, well-maintained example of a Howe truss and one of the few covered bridges left in the area. It also sits near the grave of the Wyandot chief Tarhe the Crane and within a scenic stretch of river under a state preservation project.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of a well-maintained Howe truss bridge. It lies in a historically significant area near the grave of Wyandot chief Tarhe the Crane and the Indian Mill memorial. It is one of the few covered bridges left in the area and crosses a section of the Sandusky River in a scenic waterway project.
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 75001558, listed March 31, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5 mi. NE of Upper Sandusky on SR 40A, Upper Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Wyandot County |
| Listed | March 31, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001558 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1873 |
| Architect / builder | J. C. Davis |
| Architectural style | Howe truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good condition; renovated in 1966 with a new shingle roof. Owned by Wyandot County. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.90321, -83.24461 (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 75001558.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q58904065
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.