Rock Mill Covered Bridge, Rock Mill Ohio
Rock Mill Bridge was built in 1901 by Jacob R. Brandt for $575. The contract was signed in December 1900. This bridge replaced an earlier covered structure built in 1849. This was Brandt's last "new" bridge In Fairfield County although he did do a few more repair Jobs before his death in 1911.
The Rock Mill Covered Bridge takes its name from the historic old Rock Mill nearby. Rock Mill and Covered Bridge are one of only two such mill and covered bridge combinations left here in Ohio, where once they were so numerous. The first mill was built here on the headwaters of the Hocking River in 1799. The present mill was built in 1824 and ceased operations in 1905. Rock Mill Covered Bridge is the oldest and the shortest of Fairfield County's roofed spans. It is also one of Ohio's best-known and most often photographed covered bridges. In 1965, it was featured on a poster promoting tourism in Ohio that was put out by the U.S. Travel Agency:
Bridge Description
The Rock Mill Covered Bridge is a one-span wooden truss covered bridge spanning the deep gorge of the Hocking River on county road 41 in Bloom Township section 25 at Rock Mill in Fairfield County, Ohio. This bridge has low-boarded, vertical siding with roofed windows running the length of the bridge on both sides. The portals are projected, the roof is shingle and the abutments are cut stone.
This bridge is known as the Rock Mill Covered Bridge and was originally built in 1849, and rebuilt in 1901, on the Queenpost truss plan. The Queenpost truss consists of the triangular form very similar to the basic Kingpost with the diagonals in compression and the vertical members in tension. However, in a Queenpost truss, instead of having a kingpost at the center of the truss, there are two such trusses separated by a horizontal timber at the top just below the top chord. The Rock Mill Bridge is a simple, two-panel Queenpost, 36'3" long overall with a 33' clear span. The overall width is 15'2" with an 11' vertical clearance.
The overall appearance of Rock Mill Covered Bridge has changed little over the years. The county has made renovations and the bridge now rests on steel I-beams that extend from abutment to abutment. These abutments are cut stone that have been reinforced with concrete pillars at each side. These abutments are built into the massive sandstone formations through which the river has cut a gorge some 50 deep. The Rock Mill Bridge is a trim little span, painted white on both portals and siding.
South portal, east side looking northwest (1975)
