Everett Covered Bridge, which crosses Furnace Run, is the only remaining covered bridge in Summit County. When it was built in the 1800s, it was one of over 2,000 in the state. During that period, Ohio led the nation in covered bridge construction. This bridge played an important role in the transportation system of its time. Local histories emphasize the role of the Ohio & Erie Canal. With the canal, farmers could ship products to Cleveland and beyond. But to get to the canal and other local destinations, people needed functional roads.
Creek crossings posed a challenge for early roads. Their treacherous nature is illustrated by the story of the origins of Everett Covered Bridge. Whether this incident actually led to the bridge construction is uncertain. However, it certainly represents the real hazards of the time.
On a winter night in 1877, valley farmers John Gilson and his wife had to cross Furnace Run when returning home from visiting friends. A winter storm had caused the waters to rise and ice to obstruct the ford they would have used. In passing around the ford, Mrs. Gilson was thrown into the stream. Mr. Gilson lost his footing and was dragged by his horse into deeper water. Mrs. Gilson was rescued, but Mr. Gilson's body was not recovered until four days later.
The story continues that the bridge was built in response to this tragedy. In truth, the date of construction is unknown and could have predated the drowning. However, clues suggest that it was built close to the time of the incident. Covered bridges are truss bridges with support coming from a framework of beams. The builders of Everett Covered Bridge used a truss pattern patented by Robert W. Smith of Tipp City, Ohio, in 1867. The bridge was also unlikely to have been built much after the 1870s. The popularity of covered bridges waned in the 1880s with the appearance of more durable iron bridges like the one seen at Station Road Bridge Trailhead.
Everett Covered Bridge was repaired at least twice after major damage, first caused by the 1913 flood and then by a truck in 1970. Then in 1975, rushing water from a spring storm lifted the bridge from its sandstone abutments and deposited the wreckage into the stream bed below. The community, rallied by the park friends' group (then called Cuyahoga Valley Association; now called Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park), began raising funds to rebuild the bridge. School children, local citizens, private organizations, and governmental agencies all joined hands to secure money for the historically accurate reconstruction, completed by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1986.
Everett Covered Bridge is located at 2370 Everett Road in Peninsula, 1/2 mile west of Riverview Road.
In 2006 the National Park Foundation, an organization that supports the NPS, included Everett Covered Bridge on its list of top ten places for photography on public lands. Here are some tips for photographing the bridge:
Give the photograph depth by including a focal point in the foreground. Some of the best photographs of Everett Covered Bridge emphasize the rocks and water of Furnace Run in front of the bridge. If you go a little further downstream in the creek bed, you can include small cascades in the foreground.
Time of day is a key factor for successful images due to variation in light. The light is best for photography looking upstream at the bridge in the morning and downstream in the afternoon and evening. The quality of light is best early and late in the day. For morning photography, any time between sunrise and 10 am is good. For afternoon photography, try after 4 pm.
A fun photograph is the kissing shot. You can shoot through the bridge to a couple embracing just beyond the bridge. If you try it, make sure you set your exposure for the outside light where the couple is standing, not the darker interior of the bridge.
