Bridges Around Columbiana County Part 2

 Probably one of the best looking stone bridges still in use today has to be the one up at the top of sixth street in Newell. It is the beginning of Laurel Hollow that runs all the way down to the river. At the bottom is the newly restored Laurel Hollow Park. Carved in the top stone is the date 1904. There is not a lot of information out there about the builder or to confirm the date. Although this bridge is in Hancock county WV it is still part of our hometowns. 

Known as the McClelland bridge it was built in 1879 but now sits abandoned off of Trinity Church Road near Rt 518 outside of West Point. It is a spectacular bridge to see in it's original form. It is 53 feet long and a multiple king truss structure. Hopefully it can someday be restored.

Originally used as a railroad bridge many were moved and used as a overpasses as trains became larger. This one in particular is on Yellow Creek Church Road in Summitville. It was built in 1900 and now serves as an overpass over railroad tracks. It is a Thru Truss build with a Pratt pin connection. It is thought that the Penn Central Railroad was the original builder.

As many times as I have rode by this little bridge on Rt 39 outside of Wellsville I never thought that this was an old bridge. I always thought it was a homemade structure to gain access to the farm that you see in the photo. I stopped one day this past summer and I am glad I did. This structure is a rare four Panel Pony Truss built in 1890. It is privately owned by John McKenzie and crosses the Little Yellow Creek stream about a half mile west from the Valley Drive Inn. He told me that his grandfather was operating the farm when the bridge was originally put in. Years latter the state built Rt 39 and realigned the road. John worked at the mill and harnessed raced on the side. He put four of his children through college by racing on the weekends. Up until a few years ago you could ride by early in the morning and see him riding on a track that he had built to practice on. He was a very interesting person to talk to. The bridge is still used to access the farm and still can handle very heavy loads.

Here is one that I have drove over and biked over for years not realizing that this was a historical stone bridge. There are not to many left around the county. This one is probably the smallest stone arch bridge in the county. It can be found in Beaver Creek State Park right in front of the old lock. Built in 1875 it is 21 feet long and still sees a lot of park traffic.

When you first drive across this bridge on Willard road near Bethesda church it does not look like much. In fact it looks like a overpass you would see on Rt 11 complete with Jersey Barriers on each side. It is not until you are under it that you realize what a behemoth it really is. A train bridge originally it was constructed in 1900. It was moved and rehabilitated in 1930 as a overpass complete with a concrete deck. It has been rehabbed again recently with a new deck pour and Jersey Barriers. The underside is a Pratt Pin connected truss frame. It crosses a railroad bed at about 55 feet high. 

  

This is one of only two triple stone arch bridges in our county. It is a work of craftsmanship. It is a 55 foot span that crosses Cold Run Creek on Lisbon Dungannon Road. It lays in the shadow of a family farm on a road that sees very little traffic. It was constructed in 1877 by Ross Rue. It has a top stone built into it in the center bearing the date. It has been touched up over the years to preserve it. It truly is a historical bridge and one that needs preserved for future generations.

The last bridge is by far the most photographed bridge in the county. It is a Thru Truss Pratt Pinned connected type that spans 127 feet across Beaver Creek at the state park. It was built in 1909 by the Canton Bridge Company. It has been refurbished as recently as 2008. It is a beautiful bridge in a very scenic park and is one of the treasures of our county. Below is a photo of the restoration that began the late fall of 2007 and what it looks like today. I personally liked the red paint better than the silver.