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Covered bridges in Ashtabula make for scenic stops
A bridge to history
Gallery
Visitors come from near and far to visit the 18 covered bridges sprinkled across Ashtabula County.
STORY AND PHOTOS
By MADELYN P. HASTINGS
ASHTABULA
Most of the bridges were built in the 1800s, giving them a rustic charm laced with hundreds of years of history.
One-third of them have been restored in the last 20 years, which is a testament to Ashtabula’s admiration of their beauty.
The bridges span not only two rivers and three creeks but also display a variety of architectural styles and building methods.
The Netcher Road bridge makes use of an arch to keep it standing, while most of the others use standard truss techniques and cross-bracing.
Design styles also vary from lattice modes seen on many of the bridges to the rare Neo-Victorian. All these techniques come together to show off both the longest and shortest covered bridges in the country.
Two driving tours are offered across the county that includes stops at several wineries.
A covered-bridge festival takes place in Ashtabula every autumn, and next year will mark its 31st anniversary.
For information on the bridges and their tours, go to the website http://www.coveredbridgefestival.org.