Ohio Covered Bridges

Roberts covered bridge, Eaton, OH. 10/4/2025 dwm

The Roberts Covered Bridge in Eaton, Ohio is considered the oldest bridge in the state and the second oldest in the United States.

Wikipedia says it was built in 1829 by Orlistus Roberts over Seven Mile Creek in Preble County two-and-a-half miles south of Eaton.

An account on Eaton Ohio's website says that Roberts used local poplar, beech, and oak trees. Limestone cut from a nearby quarry was used for the abutments supporting the bridge. Nuts, bolts, and nails were forged by the builders.

Roberts is 1 of 6 surviving two-lane bridges. 10/4/25 dwm

James Campbell, Robert's apprentice, finished the bridge after Roberts died prior to finishing the bridge.

The bridge stood where it was built for 160 years before it was restored in 1962; in 1974 structural repairs were made.

In 1986, the bridge was vandalized and damaged by fire. Local citizens rallied to restore the bridge.

Ultimately, it was moved north to Eaton in 1990 to it's current location crossing Seven Mile Creek near Crystal Lake. I noticed a dam close to the bridge which made me think it was built for a grain or saw mill once upon a time.

Looking upstream. 10/4/2025 dwm

For a bridge that was moved to a park, it has one of the best second-locations I've seen. Seven Mile Creek falls over the dam then downstream under Roberts Bridge and an old one-lane, iron metal truss bridge.

It's interesting that the bridge includes two lanes because in 1829 there were no cars on the roads. Perhaps there was a lot of traffic with horses pulling buggies or wagons in both directions.

The best thing about the Roberts bridge was that it offered opportunities for pictures from all angles. It was a lot of fun shooting the Roberts Covered Bridge.