The Butler County Engineer's
Office and the Oxford Museum Association will host a joint press
conference to discuss progress on the Black Covered Bridge restoration.
Date: Thursday, September
25, 1997
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Black Covered Bridge
site at the end of Corso Road, Oxford Township
Directions: From High Street
in the City of Oxford, take Main Street (S.R. 732) north approximately
one mile. Turn left on Corso Road and follow to dead-end.
The following speakers will
make brief comments and then be available for questions afterwards:
Dean Foster, Butler County Engineer; Joyce Rouse, Oxford Museum
Association President; Gerry Collins, Save Our Span Committee
Chairperson; and a representative from the W.M. Brode Company,
the construction contractor.
Built in 1870 and originally
known as the Pugh's Mill Bridge, Black Bridge is now one of only
two remaining covered bridges in Butler County and is listed
on the National Register of Historic Places. It was closed to
vehicular traffic in 1951 when State Route 732 was rerouted adjacent
to the bridge. Though various restoration efforts were ongoing
since 1973 with the help of the Oxford Museum Association, by
the early 1990's major rehabilitation would be required to save
the structure.
The Butler County Engineer's
Office began design and engineering and applied for a grant to
help pay for the project. In December 1996, a $226,800 grant
was officially received from ODOT's Transportation Enhancement
Activities program and construction plans were underway. The
Oxford Museum Association has been raising matching funds to
pay for the balance of the $608,000 project.
