Root Covered Bridge, Decaturville Ohio
Root Bridge was built in 1878 by Rolla (not Rollin) Merydith (not Meredith) for $6.50 per linear foot for yellow poplar trusses. Stonework by David Gill for $2.50 per perch. The bridge is now bypassed.
The Root Bridge takes its name from the small community of Root Town which no longer exists. There was once a post office, general store and grist and saw mill there. Before the bridge was built, a ford located upstream was used, but was often impassible due to high water. This small stream, the West Branch of the Lt. Hocking R. is known for its tendency to flood. The Root Bridge was built in 1888 by Alta and Charles Meredith, a well-known Washington County covered bridge builders. They seem to have preferred the Long truss and there are two other Long truss covered bridges in the county that were built by them. The road the Root Bridge is on was once the McConnellisville to Hills Landing State Road and was heavily traveled. It is now County Road 6.
The small community of Qualey, just north of the covered bridge, has given its name to the Qualey Covered Bridge Club, an organization dedicated to the preservation of this bridge. They have twice painted the bridge with donated paint and labor, making these painting sessions into a social occasion with whole families, including dogs, participating. The people of this history-rich area cherish this covered bridge as a reminder of their past.
Bridge Description
The Root Covered Bridge is a one-span wooden truss covered bridge spanning the West Branch (of the Lt. Hocking R.) in Decatur Township, Washington County, Ohio. The bridge has vertical, high-boarded siding, a metal roof and cut stone abutments.
This is known as the Root Covered Bridge and is built on the now rare Long truss plan patented in 1830 by Colonel Stephan H. Long of the U. S. Army Topographical Engineers. This truss consists of braces and counter-braces in the form of an X between wooden verticals. This truss enjoyed great popularity for about 10 years, then it was eclipsed by the Howe truss which introduced the use of steel in bridge building.
The Root Bridge is a 6-panel Ling truss, 70'6" in length with an over-all width of 14'8" and a roadway width of 12". The vertical clearance is 12'. The upper and lower chords are 2-4" x 10"; the verticals are 6" x 9"; the braces are 2-3" x 6 and the counterbraces are 1-6" x 7", The southeast lower chord is reinforced with steel I beams. The original diagonally laid floor is still in use protected by 2" plank laid length-wise. The ends of the lower chords are anchored to the abutments by iron rods to prevent the bridge from washing away. The bridge has been reinforced at some time with a steel bent under the north end and a 6" x 9" diagonal brace under the southwest end of the lower chord.
North portal, east side of bridge, looking southwest (1974)
