Otway Bridge / Timber Covered Bridge

Side A: This bridge, spanning Brush Creek in Brush Creek Township, Scioto County, was erected in 1874 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. Robert W. Smith was granted patents for timber trusses in 1867 and 1869, and the design for this bridge is a Smith patented truss. The supplemental arches were added in 1896. Original length of 200 feet had been shortened to its present 171 feet. This plaque has been erected to give due honor to these early timber covered bridge builders and to the men of the community who so ably assisted them. [This side of the marker contains a bridge illustration in the upper left corner] Side B: Timber Covered Bridges were vital links in the early road, railroad and canal systems of Ohio and contributed greatly to the growth and development of the state. They were covered with roof and siding to protect the heavy timber trusses from the weather. Many of them have carried their loads and served their communities for well over a century. Fine craftsmen, using broadax, adz, pitsaw, and froe, were able to construct these sturdy bridges by hand.