Ohio Covered Bridges - Harpersfield

Harpersfield bridge. 10/5/2025 dwm photo

A flood more than 100 years ago changed a covered bridge into a hybrid when it no longer reached both sides.

The Grand River ran out of its bed in 1913 and washed away the supports at the north end of the Harpersfield bridge.

A span of a steel was added to the hanging end of the bridge to connect the south to the north on its original route over the river.

The bridge has been renovated twice in the last 35 years, in 1991-1992 the walkways were added to the covered bridge and between 2022 and 2024 more work was done.

The bridge is part of a county park with space on both sides of the river, allowing plenty of public access. All that room made it nice walking across the bridge and getting shots from a variety of angles.

Crossing the bridge. 10/5/2025 dwm

The juxtaposition of a wood covered bridge and a steel trestle bridge marries the concept of creating support with trusses above the bridge deck in different ways.

At one-time, Harpersfield was the longest bridge in Ohio at 228-feet. In 2025, it's not even the longest in Ashtabula county and is third longest in the state.

Harpersfield

Built: 1868

Style: Howe Truss

Length: 228-feet over the Grand River