Bergstresser / Dietz Bridge, the last remaining covered bridge in

Franklin County, Ohio Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus, the state capital and most ...

, United States, is located within the village limits of

Canal Winchester, Ohio Canal Winchester is a city in Fairfield and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The city is one of the suburbs that make up the Columbus metropolitan area. The population was 9,107 at the 2020 census. History Canal Winchester was found ...

in southeastern Franklin County. Historical Landmarks in Canal Winchester, Ohio The wooden bridge crosses Little Walnut Creek, which is a tributary of the

Scioto River The Scioto River ( ) is a river in central and southern Ohio more than in length. It rises in Hardin County just north of Roundhead, Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets t ...

. Although the bridge is in serviceable condition, it is only open to foot traffic.
Bergstresser/Dietz Covered Bridge Data on the Historical Marker Database

Location

The Bergstresser/Dietz Bridge is located adjacent to the intersection of Ashbrook Road and Washington Street in Canal Winchester. The bridge crosses Little Walnut Creek at what has been termed Kramer's Ford. An Ohio Historical Marker commemorating the bridge is located at the corner of Ashbrook Road and Washington Street.

History

In the 1800s, the village of Canal Winchester was important to the local economies of southeastern Franklin and northwestern Fairfield counties. The village evolved into a local transportation hub because the

Ohio and Erie Canal The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...

and the

Hocking Valley Railway The Hocking Valley Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Ohio, with a main line from Toledo to Athens and Pomeroy via Columbus. It also had several branches to the coal mines of the Hocking Valley near Athens. The company became part of ...

passed through.Village of Canal Winchester website
/ref> Canal Winchester Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ohio
Canal Winchester Historical Society Little Walnut Creek acted as a moderate barrier to local farmers who transported crops into town. As a result, local citizens petitioned for a bridge to be built over Little Walnut Creek. In March 1887, the Franklin County Commissioners announced the building of a bridge over Little Walnut Creek at Kramer's Ford. Michael Corbett of

Groveport, Ohio Groveport is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Columbus. The population was 6,009 at the 2020 census. Groveport was the hometown of John Solomon Rarey, a 19th-century horse whisperer, and developer of the Rarey t ...

, contracted to construct the abutments and the Columbus Bridge Company built the covered bridge for $2,690.00.

Reuben Partridge Reuben L. Partridge (September 10, 1823 – July 17, 1900) was an American pioneer and engineer in Union County, Ohio, known locally as "The Bridge Builder". Early life Reuben Partridge was born September 10, 1823, in Wilmington, New York, to Cy ...

, company vice president, supervised the building, using his patented

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...

system consisting of double and triple truss members constructed of pine and oak. In the 1930s, the road traveling over the bridge became State Route 674, and in the 1950s the road was redirected to bypass the covered bridge.

Preservation

In 1990, the county contracted with Abba Lichtenstein & Associates to evaluate the condition of the bridge. The W.J. Seidensticker Company repaired and restored the Bergstresser/Dietz Bridge using original and new materials. The bridge was rededicated on September 1, 1991. At this time, the ownership of the bridge was transferred to the village of Canal Winchester. The Ohio Historical Marker (Marker Number 17-25) was erected in 1992 by Citizens for Positive Growth for the Village of Canal Winchester and the Ohio Historical Society.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergstresser Dietz Covered Bridge Bridges completed in 1887 Transportation buildings and structures in Franklin County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Ohio Tourist attractions in Franklin County, Ohio Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Wooden bridges in Ohio Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Pratt truss bridges in the United States