Tag: architecture

From the Banks of Grand River

From the Banks of Grand River

Harpersfield Covered Bridge spans the Grand River, a tributary that collects Cleveland area water and drops it into Lake Eire. Built in 1868 in the wake of the Civil War, the bridge remained standing when floodwaters from the Great Flood of 1913 washed away the land at the north end of the bridge. Covered bridges stay erect by using a truss design which simultaneously holds the vertical length up by compressing some elements and putting tension on other elements, so there was no way to simply extending the bridge. Instead, what was created was just two independent bridges, connected together.

And so it was in 1913 that the steel expanse connected the settled northern bank with the covered bridge. It creates a unique, cobbled-together appearance, but remains on of the longest covered spans in Ohio.

And I almost climbed into the wrong car as I was leaving.
In front of the car’s owners.

They were not pleased.

Outside the Octagon

@addetrick 2019

The history of octagon houses have a confusing history. Originating in the 1850’s, the North American versions were either designed as an homage to the pseudoscience of phrenology, or they were an unique approach to load-bearing walls. Others claim they were homes designed for the unitarian pious (all walls and rooms are of equal size and equidistant from each other), or for security from the rancor of the Civil War (frequent windows and vista porches made it easy to scout for approaching marauders).

Whatever the reason, the Gregg-Crites Octagon House in Circleville, Ohio was built in 1855 and sat on the main road between Columbus and Chillicothe, the original capitol city of Ohio. The original farm was sold in the early 2000s to Wal-Mart, and the house was slated for demolition to make way for a Wal-Mart Super Center. (Or, what we call “progress”.)

Fortunately, the Circleville residents were able to form a commission that moved the entire house to a safe location a few miles from its original home. They hope to renovate the house and turn it into a museum someday.