Warnke Covered Bridge

The Warnke Covered Bridge, also known as Warnke Bridge, is a historic covered bridge crossing Swamp Creek in Harrison Township, Preble County, Ohio, northeast of Lewisburg. Built from 1895 to 1896 by Everett S. Sherman, it has a span of 51 feet.[2][3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1]

Warnke Covered Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Lewisburg, Ohio
Coordinates	39°52′26″N 84°30′53″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1895
Built by	Everett S. Sherman
Architectural style	One-span Childs truss
NRHP reference No.	76001518[1]
Added to NRHP	October 8, 1976

In 1895, a flood damaged the steel truss bridge that had been built at the same location. Sherman built a new "Childs Truss covered Bridge." He purchased the stone for the abutments from the Lewisburg quarry.[2] The bridge was named for a family who lived nearby.[3]

The Warnke Bridge was the last bridge built by Sherman.[4] After the bridge was completed, Sherman moved to Richmond, Indiana, and died shortly thereafter.[2]

The original cost of the bridge was $459. Rehabilitation work undertaken in 2008 cost $240,924.25.[2] At one time, Preble County had 50 covered bridges. Seven of them, including the Warnke Covered Bridge, remain.[5]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Warnke Covered Bridge: Located on Swamp Creek Road over Swamp Creek". Preble County Engineer's Office.
3. "Warnke Covered Bridge". Destination Preble.
4. frederdl. "Warnke Bridge". Miami University Centralized Web Host.
5. Elma Lee Moore (2010). Ohio's Covered Bridges. Arcadia Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 0738584304.