Greene County Fall Bridge Tour

August 19, 2007

Ron Jones, Tour Director

Janis Ford, guide

Lead Vehicle Cell phone

 

 

Meet at Young's Jersey Dairy, 6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd (US-68), Springfield, Ohio at 9:00 AM under the big cow!

 

§   Exit left onto US68 South

§   Left on OH-343

§   Right on OH-72

§   Right onto US42

§   Right onto Tarbox-Cemetery Rd & park in the rest area. (This is the first highway rest area in the state of Ohio.)

§   Take short walk to viewing area for:

 

1. Tarbox Cemetery Road Stone Bridge. This is a 3 span 70 ft stone arch built over Massies Creek in 1867.

§   Return to US-42 & continue south (right)

§   Right on Charleton Mill Rd to view the  Charleton Mill Rd covered bridge. Drive through the bridge (1 car at a time) and park on the other side.

 

2. The Charleton Mill Covered Bridge (35-29-16) crosses Massies Creek. It was built in 1883 by Henry Hebble using Howe trusses and has a length of 128 ft.

 

§   Right at T on Wilberforce Clifton Rd

§   Left on Clark Run Rd

§   Left on Stevenson Rd

o       At 2031 Stevenson Rd, on your right, observe the old metal Pratt pony bridge on private drive over Massies Creek.

§   Continue short distance to the Stevenson Rd covered bridge.  Park behind the lead car as close together as possible.

 

3. Stevenson Road Covered Bridge (35-29-15) Also known as Whiteman’s Bridge. Spans Massies Creek. Built in 1877 by the Smith Bridge Company with Smith double trusses. It’s 99 ft long and closed to traffic.

 

§   Right at CB to continue South on Stevenson Rd

§   Left on Brush Row Rd

§   Jog left at US42 to pick up Wilberforce Switch Rd

§   Right at T on Nash Rd

§   Bear left on Old US-35 (not an acute left on Federal Rd)

§   Right on N Ballard Rd to see the Ballard Road Covered bridge.  Drive through bridge (1 car at time) to park on the other side.

4. Ballard Road Covered bridge (35-29-18) Crosses North Branch of Caesar Creek. Built by Brown and Hebble in 1883 using Howe trusses. Length is 80 ft.

 

§   Return to Old US-35 and turn right. 

§   Right on S New Jasper Station Rd

§   Jog left at Jasper Rd to pick up Paintersville New Jasper Rd

§   Right on Waynesville Jamestown Rd

§   Cross US-68

§   Left on Henville Rd

§   Left at T on E Spring Valley Paintersville Rd

§   Right on Engle Mill Rd to view Engle Mill Rd covered bridge.  Park on the near end of the bridge in the parking area.


5. Engle Mill Rd Covered Bridge (35-29-03) Spans Anderson’s Fork. Built in 1887 by the Smith Bridge Co. using Smith Trusses. It is 148 ft long and closed to traffic.

 

§   Return the way we came on Engle Mill Rd & turn left at T on E Spring Valley Paintersville Rd

§   Left on US 42

§   Right on OH-725 & follow it to the junction with OH-675.

 

6. Stop for lunch at the mall. Eat at Schlotzsky’s or one of the other places nearby.

 

§   At the specified time (45 min) return to OH-725 & continue to follow it through Miamisburg and Germantown to Gratis.

§   Entering Gratis, go right onto Franklin St at Y as OH-725 goes left

§   Franklin St becomes OH-122

§   Left on Swartsel Rd to arrive at the:

 

7. Preble County Historical Society.

 

End of tour

 

Optional self guided mini-tour of three nearby bridges for the drive home.

 

§   Exit on Swartsel Rd to OH-122 & go Right (back toward Gratis)

§   In about a mile, turn right toward Fair View cemetery on Brubaker Rd

§   Follow Brubaker Rd to:

 

8. The Brubaker Covered Bridge, an 85 ft Childs Truss typical of many CBs in Preble County.

 

§   Continue thru the bridge & turn right at T onto Aukerman Creek Rd

§   Right at T onto Sharpsburg Rd

§   Right on Ketterman Rd to a historic metal bridge built ca.1900

 

9. Pratt riveted pony.

 

§   Continue over bridge and take left onto OH-122

§   Quick right onto Ray Rd

§   Jog right at OH-503 onto Fudge Rd to a 1913 historic metal bridge:

 

10. "Crybaby Bridge" a Pratt pinned pony.

 

§   Continue over bridge and take right at T onto Enterprise Rd.

  • Left on OH-503 will take you back to Gratis or
  • Right on OH-503 will take you to I-70.