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Harpersfield, Ashtabula County

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Inventory Number: OH/35-04-19
County: Ashtabula County
Township: Harpersfield
Town/Village: Harpersfield
Bridge Name: Harpersfield
Crosses: Grand River
Truss type: Howe
Spans: 2+
Length: 234'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1868
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N41 45.363
Longitude: W080 56.666
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.3 miles west of jct OH534 on OH307, then 0.3 miles left on Harpersfield Rd. (CR154). At Harpersfield.

Harpersfield Bridge, Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, OH Built 1868
Larry Cunningham Photo

Harpersfield Bridge, Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, OH Built 1868
Bill Caswell Photo, March 7, 2016

Harpersfield Bridge, Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, OH Built 1868
Traugott Keller Photograph, November 7, 1954, NSPCB Archives

Harpersfield Bridge, Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, OH Built 1868
H. M. MacKenzie Photo, October 12, 1952, NSPCB Archives

Harpersfield Bridge, Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, OH Built 1868
Bill Caswell Photo, March 7, 2016

Comments:
12-panel truss. The Harpersfield Bridge was built in 1868 to replace an earlier bridge destroyed by an ice jam. At 228 feet, it was the longest covered bridge in the state until the Smolen-Gulf Bridge was built. The 1913 flood washed away the land at the north end of the bridge. The 140-foot-long steel span was added to bridge this area. The Ashtabula Beacon of August 11, 1913 noted that contractor B.F. Hewitt had to remove ten feet of the covered span to connect the new steel bridge. The bridge was bypassed in 1959 and has remained open to local traffic. Extensive renovations took place during 1991 & 1992. The bridge deck was suspended from the lower chords providing an additional two feet of clearance. The iron rods of the Howe truss were replaced at that time to allow for the additional height of the truss. A walkway was added to the west side of the covered and steel spans. The siding was replaced and windows with louvers added. The bridge was rededicated during the 1992 Covered Bridge Festival. In March 2022, Union Industrial Contractors was awarded a contract to rehabilitate both the covered bridge and steel truss bridge for $6,057,260.50. The bridge was completely dismantled so new abutments and piers could be constructed. The project was delayed due to difficulty obtaining materials. Reconstruction of the wooden portion was underway by early 2024 and the bridge was open to traffic on May 24, 2024. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1975.

Sources:
Hakala, Paul E. & David Payne, Ashtabula County Historical Society, Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 1968, Ashtabula, OH.
Wood, Miriam. Ohio Covered Bridge Index, Ashtabula County
Wood, Miriam F. & Simmons, David A.. Covered Bridges: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, 2007, pages 30-32, 59
Feather, Carl E.. The Covered Bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio, 2014, Pages 92-94
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 64

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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