Harshaville Covered Bridge
SR 1, Harshaville, OHThis area was first settled in 1806 and the first mill was built here on Cherry Pork in 1817 by General Sam Wright who sold it in 1846 to Paul Harsha. Caldwell's 1880 Atlas of Adams County mentions that a W. B. Harsha had excellent mills here. This prominent Harsha Family has given its name to both community and the covered bridge. The town of Harsha once had a dry goods store, a blacksmith shop, and a shoe shop in addition to the Harsha Mills. Little of this activity remains in the area today. The old covered bridge is indicated in a sketch in the 1880 atlas. According to Congressman William H. Harsha of the Ohio 6th District, this covered bridge was built prior to the Civil War and was used by General John Morgan and his Raiders as they passed through Adams County in 1863. Unfortunately, no records exist today as to the builder of this fine old structure or the exact date it was built. We do know, however, that the Harshaville Covered Bridge is an outstanding example of the Burr truss and that is it now well into its second century of service to the people of the Harshaville area.
Local significance of the structure:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.