Shinn Covered Bridge, Palmer Township Ohio
According to a history of the Shinn Bridge in the Record Books of the Southern Ohio Covered Bridge Association, this old span was built about 1886 by Charles T. Shinn, a carpenter who lived nearby. The 60-acre property including the north end of the bridge was first owned by Douglas Putnam and the land on the opposite side of the creek was owned by Martin Baker, a cooper who lived on Wolf Creek in Waterford Township. Sometime after 1858, most of this land was bought by David W. Shinn who had settled in Palmer Township sometime before 1838. His granddaughter, Mrs. Blanche Shinn Russell, told the story of the events that led to the building of the covered bridge. The crossing of Wolf Creek at the Shinn Farm was done by means of a ford some 100 yards above the site of the present covered bridge. This was always inconvenient and in times of high water, impossible. In 1885, when Mrs. Russell was about three years old, she was crossing the creek in a rowboat with other members of her family and the boat struck the bank too hard and she was thrown out into the swollen waters of Wolf Creek, Her older brother's quick action saved her from drowning. Very soon after this near tragedy, the frequent users of the ford decided that a bridge would be a practical improvement. Mrs. Russell's father, Charles T. Shinn, was a carpenter by trade, and he built the bridge, assisted by several other men from neighboring families.
The Shinn Covered Bridge, a lovely old span in a remote, rural setting, was of great importance to the early settlers in the area and has served the people well now for well over 100 years. It is one of Ohio's more remote covered spans, therefore it is not heavily traveled or as well-known as some of our other roofed bridges. It is one of only thirteen Burr arch trusses left in Ohio and the only Burr truss in Washington County, It is an excellent example of this early American bridge truss design.
Bridge Description
The Shinn Covered Bridge is a one-span wooden truss covered bridge spanning the west branch of Wolf Creek on Township Road 91 in Palmer Township, 2 miles south of SR 676 and 1½ miles northeast of Pattens Mills, Washington County, Ohio. This fine old covered span has vertical, high-boarded siding, a metal roof, straight portals, and cut-stone abutments. There are 2 small windows on the east side of the bridges
This is known as the Shinn Bridge and is built on the Burr truss plan patented in 1804 by Theodore Burr of New York State. Mr. Burr experimented with many different types of bridge construction, but finally hit, upon this design, where he combined the wooden arch first designed in the post-Renaissance period by Andrea Palladio, with the common kingpost type of wooden trusses. In Burr's plan, these arches are made more rigid by framing them between or outside of the trusses. Theodore Burr built many large bridges in his rather short career and his truss type became quite popular with early bridge builders.
The Shinn Bridge is a 10-panel Burr truss with 6-ply laminated arches, These arches are double, one on each side of the trusses. These wooden trusses are all single timbers, The single-layer flooring is laid crosswise. The bridge is 99' 10" long overall with a truss length of 97 10". The height of the trusses is 13' 10". The roadway width is 15' 10" and the overall width is 18'. The overhead clearance is 12'.
The outward appearance of the Shinn Bridge has changed little over the years. It has never been painted. The small roofed windows on the east side of the bridge may have been cut out after the bridge was built, but we are not certain of this.
South portal east side (1976)
North portal east side (1976)
