Swartz Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Sandusky River five miles east of Harpster, this one-span wooden covered bridge carries County Road 130A in Antrim Township, Wyandot County. Portal signs date it to 1880 and name it for a nearby family. It is a nine-panel Howe truss, about 108 feet long, with vertical siding, projecting portals, a cedar shingle roof and a stone south abutment paired with a concrete north abutment. The Howe design, patented in 1840, used iron tension rods with turnbuckles as truss verticals, an early step away from all-wood construction. The truss was still widely built in Ohio four decades after its patent and was the most common type among the county's covered bridges. Vandals stripped the siding in 1966, so new siding and roofing were installed, and a fire attempt in 1975 caused little damage. Local residents wanted it preserved, and it is one of few covered bridges in the area.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as a fine example of the Howe truss, which combined wooden members with iron tension rods and marked the beginning of the end of the all-wooden truss. The Howe truss was still popular in Ohio about 40 years after its patent and was the most common truss for covered bridges in Wyandot County. The bridge is also one of the few covered bridges in this part of the state.
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 76001553, listed October 8, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Wyandot on SR 130A, Wyandot |
|---|---|
| County | Wyandot County |
| Listed | October 8, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001553 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Howe truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well cared for by the county; new siding was added after vandalism in 1966, and floor repairs were planned for 1976. The form lists the bridge as in good condition and altered, with the original site retained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.77071, -83.16917 (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 76001553.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1295241
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.