This covered bridge, over Middle Run, Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, is the shortest covered bridge in the United States still standing on a once-used public highway, having a clear span of 19 feet and 3 inches. It is an example, rarely found covered, of the simplest, most basic truss design, the two-panel king post truss. It has withstood the rigors of time and traffic since the 1870s and stands in eloquent testimony of the fine craftsmanship of the early Ohio bridge builders.
Timber covered bridges were vital links in the early road, railroad and canal systems of Ohio and contributed greatly to the growth and development of the State. They were covered with roof and siding to protect the heavy timber trusses from the weather. Many of them have carried their loads and served their communities for well over a century. Fine craftsmen, using broadax, adz, pitsaw, and froe, were able to construct by hand, these sturdy bridges.
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