Rinard Covered Bridge III

The first bridge across the Little Muskingum at this location was built in 1871. After a flood destroyed it, the Smith Bridge Company replaced it in 1876 with a covered bridge built with the Smith Truss design. The structure proved sturdy enough to be washed from its piers during the floods of 1913 and 1938 and still remain intact so it could be put back. Oral history recounts that the bridge timbers were numbered, taken apart, and reassembled on the same foundations. In 2004 the bridge was again washed from its piers and stayed intact until a second flood a few weeks later tore it apart. Funds were raised and the bridge was resurrected once more. The original trusses were saved, allowing it to maintain its historic designation, and the Righter Company from Columbus restored it using as many of the original timbers as possible. Though it was closed to vehicular traffic in 1991, it remains a beloved landmark.

Ohio · United States