Above: Side view contrasting the intricate, ornate truss bridge to the plain, bland wooden surface of the covered bridge in the distance.
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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| St. Clair Street Bridge | Truss | St. Clair Street | Preble County, OH | Eaton | Seven Mile Creek |
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Technical Facts |
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Construction Date |
Rehabilitation Date |
Structure Length | Roadway Width | Builder |
| 1887 | 1999 | 107.94 Feet | 15.75 Feet | Columbia Bridge Works of Dayton, OH |
This bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in southwestern Ohio. It is an eight panel pin connected Pratt through truss. It was built in 1887 by the Columbia Bridge Works, of Dayton Ohio. I have not seen very many bridges with so much beauty and historic integrity. Indeed, there is so little rust damage on the bridge that the steel mill stamps are so clear on the bridge you could almost swear you were traveling back in time to look at this bridge. Steel mill stamps included Carnegie as well as Jones and Laughlin. The bridge features original lattice guardrails. V-lacing is present on the vertical members. The bridge sits on stone abutments. Someone must have had a good deal on builder plaques. There is the trademark highly ornate Columbia Bridge Works plaque on the portal bracing. There is also a commissioner/engineer plaque on each endpost of the bridge! There are also decorative finials on top of the end post, and as if that were not enough, another simple date plaque appears below these finials. This bridge is the perfect example of what makes truss bridges so fascinating and beautiful. Even the stone abutments have a stone on top that has a date and engineer stamped into it.
No bridge can stand for over a century and not have some changes done on it. I noted a replaced turnbuckle on the bridge. The deck also was redone, and is wooden with an unusual red brick wearing surface. Although I have seen brick decks on old bridges that appear to be original, this bridge most likely had a wooden deck originally. I however found the brick deck attractive, and a pleasant alternative to placing a concrete, asphalt, or steel grate riding surface.
No where else (except maybe Carillon Park) will you find so stark a comparison between the metal truss bridge and the wooden covered bridge. There is a relocated and preserved covered bridge just north of this bridge. While a wooden covered bridge may indeed have historic value, one argument I make is that metal truss bridges often have equal or greater historic value, and also often have greater visual appeal as well. This is a rare case where both the truss bridge and the covered bridge appear to be taken care of. This is not usually the case however, even in Preble County, where all covered bridges are restored, but metal truss bridges still find themselves at the receiving end of the bulldozer. This is unfair discrimination, as metal truss bridges were just as important, if not more, to the development of the American infrastructure. They also are often more visually appealing. The delicate trusses of a bridge such as the St. Clair Street Bridge blend right in with their often natural surroundings, and compliment the natural beauty of a river. Indeed, between the delicate trusses and the current dappled appearance of the paint on the bridge, the bridge is often almost lost in the trees in my photos. The lattice railings, v-laced members, and the truss configuration form a unique form of geometric art, for all to see and admire. In addition, with some bridges such as the St. Clair Street Bridge, ornate builder plaques and decorative finials add even more aesthetic value to the bridge. All this beauty is seated on wonderful stone abutments that themselves are a historic element themselves. However historic it may be, the nearby covered bridge is not in its original location. It has a plain appearance and thus limited aesthetic value (in my opinion; I know many would disagree with me) and from the portal looks strikingly like a two car garage.
The St. Clair Street Bridge is the only Preble County bridge that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In contrast, every one of the wooden covered bridges extant in the county is on the National Register. Many of Preble County's metal truss bridges instead are on the demolition list. Even Preble County's nationally significant Pegram truss bridge is even unlisted, and not properly maintained. This is unfair, and it represents a great failure of the historic community to meet the needs of all historic properties without discrimination. It is for this reason, that I do not place wooden covered bridges on this website, as a way of showing that there is a vast world of threatened bridges with historic and aesthetic value not made of wood.
The St. Clair Street Bridge has stood in the same place for well over a century and to this day continues to perform its original function. The good condition of the trusses demonstrates how long-lived the pin connected truss bridge could be if properly maintained, and suggests how much longer it can remain the crowning Eaton landmark for another century if they choose to continue to maintain it.
