Root Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Root Covered Bridge
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Western (downstream) side of the bridge
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Decaturville, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1878 |
| Architect | Rolla Merydith |
| Architectural style | Long truss |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001552 |
| Added to NRHP | March 27, 1975 |
The Root Covered Bridge is a special old wooden bridge in Ohio. It's found in Washington County, near State Route 555. This bridge was built a long time ago, in 1878. It uses a unique building style called a "Long truss." The bridge is about 65 feet long and crosses the West Branch of the Little Hocking River.
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What is the Root Covered Bridge?
The Root Covered Bridge is a historic structure. It's a type of covered bridge, which means it has walls and a roof. This protects the wooden parts from weather, helping the bridge last longer. The bridge was named after a nearby place called Root Town. This town doesn't exist anymore; it's now a ghost town.
How Was the Bridge Built?
The Root Covered Bridge has walls made of weatherboarding, which is wood siding that protects against rain. It sits on strong stone supports called abutments. The roof is made of metal, and parts of the bridge also use iron and steel.
The people who built this bridge were Charles and Alta Meredith. They were famous bridge builders in Washington County. They built many other bridges in the area. Two other bridges in the county, the Hune and Harra Covered Bridges, also use the "Long truss" style. It's thought that the Meredith family really liked this building method.
What is a Long Truss?
A truss bridge uses a framework of triangles to support weight. The "Long truss" is a specific design for these frameworks. It was invented by an American architect named Stephen H. Long. This design helps make the bridge very strong.
Today, there are only eight Long truss bridges left in all of Ohio. Most of these special bridges are found in southern Ohio. This is partly because the Meredith family built so many of them there. Also, one of the Long truss designer's helpers worked in that area. He helped build many bridges in southern Ohio.
Why is the Root Bridge Important?
In early 1975, the Root Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history. The bridge was added because it's a great example of old engineering methods. It shows how people built strong structures a long time ago.
The Root Bridge was the first covered bridge in Washington County to be put on this list. Since then, five other covered bridges in the county have also been added. These include the Harra and Hune bridges, which were also built using the Long truss style.
