Ballard Road Covered Bridge, Jamestown Ohio
The exact building date of the Ballard Road Covered Bridge is unknown, but it may have been about 1850 when Lyman Ballard established a grist mill in the area. The road and covered bridge take their name from Mr. Ballard. The limestone abutments for this bridge undoubtedly came from one of the limestone quarries nearby in New Jasper Township. We found that county atlases and histories have little to say about New Jasper Township beyond the fact that there were limestone quarries in the area. It would seem that the Ballard Road Covered Bridge and the nearby historic Dean farmhouse form one of the few historic sites in New Jasper Township. The Dean family were early settlers in this area.
The Ballard Road Covered Bridge is one of only 18 Howe truss covered spans remaining here in Ohio and is without a doubt one of the most scenic. In fact, covered bridge expert Richard S. Allen, in his book, Covered Bridges of the Middle West, refers to this bridge as "One of Ohio's prettiest covered bridge settings."
Bridge Description
The bridge is a one-span wooden truss covered bridge spanning the North Branch of Caesar's Creek 5 miles west-northwest of Jamestown in New Jasper Township, Greene County, Ohio. This bridge has vertical, high-boarded siding, a metal roof, straight portals with roof overhang, and limestone abutments laid with mortar.
This is known as the Ballard Road Bridge and is built on the popular Howe truss plan patented in 1840 by William Howe of Spencer, Mass. The reason for the great popularity of the Howe truss was that the wooden verticals of earlier truss types were replaced here by iron rods which could be adjusted and tightened by means of turnbuckles and nuts. This was a great advance in bridge engineering and was the beginning of the end for the all-wooden truss. The Howe truss was perfect for both railroad and highway use and literally thousands of these sturdy bridges were built on the railroad and highway system of our young country. The Howe truss was quite popular in Greene County and the Ballard Road Bridge is a good example. It is a 7-panel Howe, 80' long overall with a 74' clear span. The roadway width is 15'8½" and the bridge is 19'4" wide overall. The vertical clearance is 12'6" and the height of the trusses is 14". The truss measurements for the three north panels are; lst panel braces are 2-8" x 6" and the counterbrace is 1-6" x 4"; the 2nd panel braces are 2-6" x 7" and the counterbrace is 1-5¼" x 6½"; the 3rd panel braces are 2-6½" x 6" and the counterbrace is 1-6½" x 6½", The center panel of the bridge consists of a single brace, 8½" x 6½" and a single counterbrace 6" x 8". The truss measurements are the same for the three south panels. The iron rods measure 1" in the center of the bridge, 1¼" on the 2nd panel, and 1½" on the end panels. The upper chords are 2-7" x 9" and the lower chords are 2-7" x 12". The floor of the bridge is double, with the bottom layer laid on the diagonal and the upper floor laid longitudinally.
The Ballard Road Covered Bridge is a most attractive bridge. The siding and portals are painted a deep red, somewhat faded now, and there is a green and white sign on each portal urging the preservation of the old covered bridge.
Close-up of truss detail, north end truss, west side of bridge (1975)
West side of bridge, looking east (1975)
