McColly & Bickham Covered Bridges

The McColly Covered Bridge was built in 1876

The Bickham Covered Bridge was built in 1877

Howe Truss design ad

Covered bridge that was once located over the Bokengehalas Creek

Covered bridge that was once located at the Lewistown Reservoir

Covered bridge that was once located at the Lewistown Reservoir

Newspaper article from February 4, 1937, about two historic bridges being removed

Couple posing for a photo near the McColly Covered Bridge

The McColly Covered Bridge located on County Road 13 spans the Great Miami River

Working on the grade up to the newly refurbished McColly Covered Bridge in 2000

Max & Yvonne Smith were the first to drive across the newly restored bridge on November 14, 2000

The McColly Covered Bridge. Photo courtesy of the National Register of Historic Places website

Bickham Covered Bridge located on County Road 38 before it was renovated in the 1950s

The Bickham Covered Bridge underwent a major reconstruction in 2002

Members of the Indian Lake Art Association at Bickham Bridge

The Bickham Covered Bridge. Photo courtesy of Peak of Ohio

Logan County has two remaining covered bridges, the McColly Covered Bridge on County Road 13, spanning the Great Miami River at the Bloomfield and Washington Township line, and the Bickham Covered Bridge on County Road 38 over the south fork of the Great Miami River in Richland Township.

The 130-foot McColly Covered Bridge was built in 1876 by the Anderson Green Company of Sidney, Ohio for $3,103.60. They were a reputable bridge builder specializing in Howe truss designs. The McColly bridge is believed to be the only remaining covered bridge in Ohio built by the Anderson Green Company. The bridge was named after Nicholas McColly, an early resident of the Washington and Bloomfield Township area who owned around 250 acres of land along the Great Miami River.

In 1943, a wooden joist floor system was installed and in 1958, the floor system was replaced, and the truss was strengthened. The McColly Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1993 due to deterioration and vandalism.

On January 24, 2000, the McColly Covered Bridge rehabilitation/preservation project began. The Righter Co. Inc. of Columbus was hired for the renovation. The bridge was raised two feet and set back down on concrete abutments and piers to help keep it above flood waters and damp soil. The outside of the bridge was stained red, its original color when built. The contractors completed the restoration on the bridge on September 26, 2000, and the Logan County Engineer’s office completed the roadwork on November 7th, of the same year. A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the McColly Covered Bridge was held on November 14, 2000. Max and Yvonne Smith of Bloomfield Township were the first to drive across the newly restored bridge.

The McColly Covered Bridge restoration/preservation project received an award from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Ohio Department of Transportation as an outstanding example of preservation, rehabilitation, and reuse of a historic bridge.

The Bickham Covered Bridge was built in 1877 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo. It was named after the Bickham family. Hugh Bickham came to the Huntsville area around 1823 and lived just north of the bridge. Robert and G.W. Bickham owned land just east of the bridge and had a sawmill.

The Howe truss bridge is 106 ½ feet long with a single span of 90 feet over the south fork of the Great Miami River. The bridge suffered damage during the 1913 flood and had to be repaired. The bridge was renovated in the 1950’s to accommodate modern-day traffic.

In 1977, the Indian Lake Art Association along with the Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce held a 100th year anniversary art festival at the field adjacent to the bridge. The event featured arts and crafts, a postcard display, and refreshments. The art festival was held annually at the bridge for the next few years.

The Bickham Covered Bridge underwent a major reconstruction in 2002. The Righter Co. Inc., who repaired the McColly Covered Bridge, was hired for the renovation.

Once the restoration began, crews discovered the steel rods tying beams together were nearly rusted through. Beams and posts throughout the structure that were rotted, cracked, or damaged were replaced, when possible, with Eastern white pine which was used for the original structure. Southern yellow pine was used to replace the larger timbers. New decking was installed, and the outside sanded and returned to its original red color. The inside of the bridge was painted with a white fire-retardant paint. The Bickham Covered Bridge restoration was completed in November 2002 and a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held on November 19^th.

In 2015, LED lights were added for aesthetic nighttime lighting. Security cameras were installed due to large trucks not obeying the vehicle clearance height limit and causing damage to the overhead framing.

At one time Logan County had several covered bridges. There was a covered bridge located at the Lewistown Reservoir Bulkhead, another on the west side of DeGraff, and one over Stony Creek near DeGraff. In January 1937, it was reported that the WPA removed the covered bridge over Stony Creek and replaced it with a new concrete and steel bridge. The siding from the bridge was used to construct a tool shed and shelter near the new bridge.