The Charlton Mill Covered Bridge was originally built by Henry Hebble in 1883. This bridge was a classic Howe through truss design, and the Charlton Mill structure was quite long, with 12 truss panels and a total length of 128 feet. The bridge spans Massies Creek north of Xenia in Greene County, Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

Time took its toll on the original bridge constructed by Henry Hebble. An unfortunate mistake by a dump truck driver in 1969 resulted in a 20 ton load of gravel crashing through the deck and depositing the truck in the creek below. That took some serious repair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally the decision was made in 2013 that the condition of the bridge was beyond repair. Thus the structure was razed, and a new replacement bridge was constructed on the same site.  The truss design remains faithful to the original Howe through truss, all 12 panels of it. Some metal attachment accessories are used to attach the angle braces to the top and bottom chords, and modern nailing plates are used in the roof rafter systems. And a thin asphalt deck overlay?  Seriously? There are already places where this overlay is peeling up.