Skip to main content

Mechanicsville Covered Bridge - Ohio


One of the oldest of the nineteen covered bridges in Ashtabula County, Ohio is the Mechanicsville Covered Bridge, also known as the Mechanicsville Road Covered Bridge. Built in 1867 and located near Austinburg on a short drive down Mechanicsville Road, this 154-foot-long Howe truss designed covered bridge crosses the scenic Grand River and includes an arch. The arch contains fifteen layers of wood that are encased by the large beams that form the X of the Howe truss. There is also a window above the portal for both entrances of the bridge. The bridge is also part of the Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Trail and the Ashtabula County Barn Quilt Trail, giving visitors a chance to take in the rural heritage of this corner of northeastern Ohio.

With a covered bridge that is over 150 years, the Mechanicsville Covered Bridge has seen its share of improvements over the years. While the bridge has been bypassed by a modern crossing, piers were added in 1996 as a means to stabilize the covered bridge. A larger renovation to the covered bridge took place in 2003 and was reopened to traffic in 2004. The walls and the approaches were painted white and on the northwestern exterior wall of the covered bridge, a painted quilt block has been hung in decoration.

At one time, there was a community located near the covered bridge that was also called Mechanicsville that lent its name to the bridge. While the community of Mechanicsville has been lost to the archives of time, the bridge remains for us to visit and enjoy.



The Grand River, which has been designated by the State of Ohio as a wild and scenic river.

Small window above the covered bridge portal.

A look at the modern covered bridge piers.

A small footpath leads to the side of the covered bridge.


Inside the covered bridge. If you look closely, you can see the X pattern on the top of the structure.

The modern bridge closely parallels the covered bridge over the Grand River.

Nice side profile of the Mechanicsville Covered Bridge. There are also windows on the side of the bridge that lets some light in.

A parting shot of the covered bridge. You can drive across the bridge in a car or a bike, but trucks and buses are prohibited.


How to Get There:




Sources and Links:
Tourism Ohio - The Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Trail
Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau - Mechanicsville Road Covered Bridge
The Pennsylvania Rambler - Mechanicsville Covered Bridge
The Historical Marker Database - The Covered Bridges Of Ashtabula County
DaleJTravis.com - Ohio Covered Bridges

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Petroleum Club Road (former California State Route 33 and US Route 399 past the Lakeview Gusher)

Petroleum Club Road is an approximately 5.3-mile rural highway located in the Sunset Oil Field of western Kern County.  This corridor was constructed as a frontage road of the Sunset Railroad and would be the site of the Lakeview Gusher in 1910.  Petroleum Club Road was the original alignment of California State Route 33 and US Route 399 between 1934-1938.  In 1938 the West Side Highway was constructed west of Lakeview Gusher and still serves as the current alignment of California State Route 33.   Part 1; the history of Petroleum Club Road Petroleum Club Road is the original highway which linked the oil communities of Maricopa and Taft.  Both cities were developed around the early boom of the Sunset Oil Field.  The early Sunset Oil Field can be seen centered along Cienega Canyon Road southwest of Buena Vista Lake in Township 11 North, Range 23 West on the 1898 Kern County Surveyors map .  In 1901 Post Office Service would be established at the Su...

Hawaii Route 50

Hawaii Route 50 is the longest Sign Route on the island of Kauai at 32.6 miles.  The entirety of Hawaii Route 50 is overlaid atop Kaumualii Highway from Lihue west to the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands. Hawaii Route 50 is one of the original 1955-era State Highway designations on Kauai.  Much of the Kaumualii Highway corridor was constructed during the sugar plantation boom of the late Hawaiian Kingdom.  The first tee beam bridge in Hawaii would be constructed along the Kaumualii Highway in 1911 at the Hanapepe.  Much of this highway would be modernized to two-lane standards through the 1930s and 1940s. This page is part of the Gribblenation Hawaii Roads series.  A compellation of all Hawaii-related media from both Gribblenation and RoadwayWiz can be found by clicking  here .  Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 50 and Kaumualii Highway Hawaii Route 50 is the longest highway on Kauai at 32.6 miles.  The highway begins at Rice Str...

Did Caltrans just kill the G26 cutout US Route shields?

The US Route System was formally created by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926.  Through the history of the system the only state to which has elected to maintain cutout US Route shields has been California.  The G26 series cutout US Route shields have become a favorite in the road enthusiast hobby and are generally considered to be much more visually pleasing than the standard Federal Highway Administration variant.  However, the G26 shield series appears to have been killed off on January 18, 2026, when Caltrans updated their Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  This blog will examine the history of the US Route shield specifications in California and what is happening with the 2026 changes.  The blog cover photo is facing towards the terminus of California State Route 136 and at a G26-2 specification US Route 395 shield.  In the background Mount Whitney can be seen in the Sierra Nevada range.   ...