Skip to main content

Harpersfield Covered Bridge - Ohio

Image
By

In the Ashtabula County town of Harpersfield, just a few miles south of Interstate 90, is the historic Harpersfield Covered Bridge. This Howe Truss style covered bridge, which is the third longest historic covered bridge in Ohio, was built in 1868 and spans over the scenic Grand River. One of the unique features about this covered bridge is that it is connected to a steel truss bridge, which was built in 1913 as a result of a flood in that washed away the land at the north end of the bridge. The steel span was subsequently attached as a result of that flood. At one time, OH 534 was routed to cross the bridge, but the highway was re-routed around Harpersfield onto a new alignment in 1962. The bridge features a walkway that was added during its renovation in 1991 and 1992. Today, the Harpersfield Covered Bridge is paralleled by nearby OH 534 and there is an adjacent park for visitors to enjoy the bridge and also to spend a quiet morning by going fishing.

To get there, you can take Interstate 90 to Exit 218, then go south on OH 534 for about a mile. Turn right onto OH 307 westbound, then make a left at the first intersection. There will be a sign for the Harpersfield Bridge Metropark and the park was founded in 1961 when the property surrounding the bridge was purchased by Ashtabula County from Western Reserve Properties. Head down the hill and there will be a place to park. The Harpersfield Covered Bridge is part of the Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival tour route, which features 19 covered bridges in Ashtabula County.

A view of the covered bridge on a quiet Sunday morning.

A walkway was added to the bridge to allow for easier pedestrian access.

A historical plaque greets visitors to the bridge and gives a little background about its history.

Looking west towards the Grand River as it makes its way to Lake Erie.

Wider angle view of both the truss bridge and the covered bridge.

View of the covered bridge through the truss bridge. There is also a small dam that is used for flood control for the Grand River.    

 
How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Ashtabula County Metroparks - Harpersfield Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter - Harpersfield Covered Bridge
Roadfan.com - Northwest Ashtabula County

Labels:
Location: Harpersfield Covered Bridge, 1122 Harpersfield Rd, Geneva, OH 44041, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more