I love it when a community cares enough about its covered bridge to paint it, and I particularly love it when the paint is barnyard red! The Swartz covered bridge is such a beautiful bridge, well crafted and with the added bonus of still being in service for vehicular traffic. Ohio received a monsoon of rain prior to our visit, so the river below was swollen to epic proportions making it impossible for me to get my customary under the bridge photo. But I did get a bonus pic because I saw a baby deer on the opposite side of the bridge. It was calling for its mother and I rushed through the bridge to get a closer pic, but it disappeared just that fast into the tall grassy area near the river bank :-(
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BRIDGE FACTS
Year Built: 1879 (although my research suggests 1878)
Builder: Moses Weymouth
Length: 101 feet
Restored in: 1994
Truss type: Howe
Location: Sandusky River in Wyandot County, Ohio
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FINAL THOUGHTS
In terms of covered bridges, Swartz is an extremely handsome bridge and so well maintained it looks like it was built just last week. On each entrance to the bridge there are pads with engraved bricks. I assume these brick were sold to people wanting to memorialize a loved one and raise funds to keep the bridge well maintained. This bridge literally stands in the middle of nowhere, but that's what makes it so charming. It's only a few miles of the main expressway and not hard to find. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon drive. Enjoy! read more