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Roberts (original location), Preble County

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Inventory Number: OH/35-68-05
County: Preble County
Township: Gasper
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Roberts (original location)
Crosses: Seven Mile Creek
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 79'
Roadway Width:
Built: 1829
Builder:
When Lost: 1991
Cause: Moved
Latitude: N39 42.69
Longitude: W084 37.25
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: One block north of OH732 on US127 (Barron St), then one block west on St. Clair St., North on S. Beech St. On left side.

Roberts Bridge, Gasper, Preble County, OH Built 1829
Larry Cunningham Photo

Roberts Bridge at its Original Location, Gasper, Preble County, OH Built 1829 Moved 1991
Traugott Keller Photograph, January 18, 1953, NSPCB Archives

Comments:
10-panel truss. Closed. Moved and rebuilt 1990-1991. It is Ohio’s oldest covered bridge and one of only six double-barrel covered bridges remaining in the United States. Per The Register-Herald (Eaton), March 23, 1960, the bridge was begun in 1829 by Orlistus Roberts who owned the farm on which it was built. He became very ill and died on August 20th, 1830. Joseph L. Campbell, a 17-year old apprentice, completed the bridge. Per The Daily Advocate (Greenville), July 2, 1932, the upgrade of US127 to bypass the bridge and two grade crossings of the railroad was planned in the following year. The covered bridge was cited as old and not suited to the present type of traffic. On August 5, 1986, the bridge was badly damaged by a fire determined to be arson. By November, the charred debris had been removed from the site and encased the remains in protective plastic. After the fire, the Roberts’ Covered Bridge Advisory Committee was formed to investigate options for the bridge’s future. The committee recommended relocating the bridge to a location over Seven Mile Creek within the city of Eaton or on county-owned land. Preparation of the new site began in June 1990. On September 20th, the three trusses and floor had a steering dolly placed under them and were hitched to a steam roller with a county truck pushing the rear and providing braking power for the 2.5 mile trip to its new location at Crystal Lake. In early February 1991, the trusses were raised at the new location and a dedication ceremony for the reconstructed span was held on September 15, 1991.

Sources:
Clark, Todd. Information received by email, April 2010
Dayton Daily News, February 9, 1991, page 3.
The Register Herald, September 11, 1991
The Daily Advocate (Greenville), July 2, 1932, p.2.
The Register-Herald (Eaton), March 23, 1960.
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume XV, No. 2, July 1957, page 5
Wood, Miriam. Ohio Covered Bridge Index, Preble County
Wood, Miriam F. & Simmons, David A.. Covered Bridges: Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, 2007, pages 145-146, 159
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 82

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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