Giddings Road Covered Bridge

Note: Although this is a part of a series, each article can be read individually and in any order. Stops on this journey across Ashtabula County, Ohio includes: Mechanicsville, Doyle Road, Giddings Road, Netcher Road, and South Denmark Road Covered Bridges.

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They were already wandering about the interior of the covered bridge when I pulled behind their vehicle and parked. The older couple I had encountered at Doyle Road Covered Bridge waved as I stepped out of the vehicle. Neither vehicle was far off of the road and unlike the previous bridge, the only vehicles at Giddings Road Covered Bridge at the time of my visit was ours.

I wanted to know how they had arrived here before me and it obviously wasn’t by taking the same route I had. I had opted to return to Route 307 from the Doyle Road Covered Bridge and turned eastward. I passed through the northern edge of the community of Jefferson, going straight onto Route 167 where Route 307 turned southward. A mile outside of town, I turned left onto Jones Road and another mile took a left onto Giddings Road.

The Giddings Road Covered Bridge is another of Ashtabula County’s modern covered bridges. Erected in 1995, the bridge has a single span of 107 feet over the waters of Mill Creek and features a Pratt truss. The exterior is completely painted white and the approaches slant outward from the base. Like most of the county’s modern covered bridges, this one also has a long, narrow opening running the length of it to allow light to filter in.

“What do you think about the modern covered bridges?” the elderly man asked.

“They’re very photogenic,” I replied. “I’m glad people are still willing to erect them. It would be easier to build a regular bridge. However, if they had erected a regular bridge, we would not be standing here right now.”

“Very true,” he agreed. “We used to have a covered bridge just down the road from where I grew up. When it fell apart, the county replaced it with a new, boring bridge.” He paused for a moment as he thought about the covered bridge of his childhood. “At least Ashtabula County cares about their bridges and celebrates them.”

“How many of them are you planning on visiting?” I asked.

“We’re hoping to get to them all,” he replied. “We’re going to stop at Netcher and South Denmark, then head to Ashtabula. We’ll visit those ones tomorrow.” We stood there is silence for a moment. “I’ll let you get your pictures. I assume the Netcher Bridge is your next stop?” I confirmed it was. “Hopefully we’ll see you there.”

“I should be there shortly,” I responded. In the silence I took my pictures as I explored the bridge.

Unlike the other bridges I stopped at on this journey, this one had a very rural, remote feel to it mostly due to no houses in the immediate vicinity of the bridge. Although Ohio Route 11 passed just a short distance to the east, I couldn’t hear any vehicles, which added to the remote feeling.

I finished taking pictures and turning the vehicle once again I headed toward the next covered bridge on my journey homeward.

Note: Another covered bridge stood roughly a mile upstream. The bridge was known by many names – March Road, Old Mill, and Prim’s Saw Mill. According to Carl Feather’s book The Covered Bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio, it was erected in 1862 with a Town truss and a 108-foot span. It took its name from March Road, which originally crossed Mill Creek. The road was rerouted and the covered bridge was demolished in 1947.