Historical Features
As part of our mission the Fairfield County Park District preserves many historical features around the county. Those currently accessible to the public are listed below.
Cross Mound
Location: Cross Mound Park
11615 16th Rd SW; Stoutsville
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Description: A truly unique ancient earthwork structure in the shape of a plus sign, or cross, of four identical arms each about 12′ wide, 3′ high, 45′ long. The end of each arm is about 90′ apart. In the middle of the cross is a circular-shaped depression that is 20′ in diameter and about 12″ deep. The mound sits on a high point just west of Salt Creek, a tributary of the Scioto River. Archaeologists have suggested its western arm was carved out of the surrounding landscape as opposed to the traditional approach of mounding soil to create a structure. There are smaller stone mounds nearby.
See photos and read more about the history of Cross Mound.
Cross Mound
Cruit House
Cruit House
Location: Smeck Park
7395 Basil Rd; Baltimore
Hours: Special Events & Educational Programs
Description: English immigrants, William and Hanna (Moon) Cruit, arrived in Fairfield County in 1829. They constructed this house in Section 24 of Greenfield Township. Jacob and Mary (Bryant) Wagner purchased the home in 1886. It remained in the possession of their descendants through the 19th and 20th centuries. Then, the Reef-Beck family owned and occupied the home for over one hundred years, until 2019 when it was relocated to this site at Smeck Park.
Fetter-Hood Barn
Fetter-Hood Barn
Location: Smeck Park
7395 Basil Rd; Baltimore
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Description: It is a very large double forebay (an area where one or more walls overshoot its foundation) Pennsylvania German-style banked barn, a common construction method in the 1700-1800s. Fetter-Hood Barn was deconstructed in 2005-2006 from its original location just outside of Lancaster and put in storage. Reconstruction at Smeck Park was to begin in 2015 but was delayed due to financial constraints. The huge foundation walls are in place at the park and give viewers just an idea of how massive the barn is. One corner stone is engraved with the words, “Thomas Fettr 1841”; there is no second E in Fettr.
Mambourg Nature Center, Fireplace
Mambourg Nature Center
Location: Mambourg Park
5531 Cincinnati Lancaster Rd NE; Lancaster
Hours: Seasonal Hours Vary, see Calendar of Events
(The park is open year-round during daylight hours.)
Description: The main feature of this park is Mambourg Nature Center, formerly a family’s private retreat. It was constructed in the early 1940s by Robert Mambourg. It is a wonderful example of mortise-and-tenon construction. Today, the lodge has been renovated to be used for nature education. One of the most captivating features of the building is the 90-ton, double-faced fireplace.
Lock South 11
Ohio & Erie Canal Locks
Locks South 11, 12, 13
Location: Lockville Canal Park
5895 Pickerington Rd; Carroll
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Description: Construction of Ohio & Erie Canal was in the 1820-30s. It was a 308-mile highway of water that connected Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. By 1911, most of the southern portion of the canal was in disuse. Just two years later, extensive flooding caused destruction of most locks. Lock South 11 is shown here. In the park you will find the remains of three locks – South 11, South 12 aka Tennis/Tennat Lock, and South 13 aka Rowe Lock. Locks 14 through 17 remain on private properties. The canal bed is dry but the towpath is easily discernible.
Rock Mill
Rock Mill
Location: Stebelton Park at Rock Mill
1429 Rockmill Place NW; Lancaster
Hours: Open May-October
Sundays 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Wednesdays & Saturdays 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Description: Rock Mill, built in 1824, was one of a dozen mills in the area whose power source was the Hocking River. It was in operation as late as 1901. For nearly 100 years, it sat vacant and in disrepair. After 2003, a labor-intensive restoration was begun. A replica of the 26′-diameter all-wood waterwheel was crafted and installed; it is the largest of its kind in the state. In 2017, Rock Mill roared to life! People from all over the U.S. and beyond visited to see the mill in action. Each year, on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October, the mill is open for visitors to tour inside and experience a bit of history.
Stonewall Cemetery
Stonewall Cemetery
Location: Stonewall Cemetery Park
2375 Stonewall Cemetery Rd SW; Lancaster
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Description: Nathaniel Wilson III “emigrated from Cumberland County Pa and settled near this place AD 1798, when all around was one continued and uninhabited wilderness.” In 1817 he set aside land at the east side of his property in Hocking Township as a family burial ground. To protect the site, he began construction of a sandstone wall in the shape of a dodecagon. The wall is considered by many to be one of the best examples of dry-stone masonry in Ohio. The entrance faces geodetic true north. The park is open to the public but the gate to the cemetery’s interior is kept locked to help prevent further vandalism.
Windmill
Windmill
Location: Smeck Park
7395 Basil Rd; Baltimore
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Description: The windmill is just short of 60′ high. It has a 750-gallon water tank resting on a platform that is 30′ above ground. It was built in the late 1800s by Stover Windmill Company of Freeport, Illinois, and was installed on the Roger Wolfe farm on Canal Road. Most of it is original but a new fan and motor had to be built. The fan is 10′ in diameter. Water-pumping windmills can draw up water from hundreds of feet below the surface for storage in the elevated tank. The average windmill powered by a 15-20 MPH breeze can pump about three gallons per minute. The move and restoration was completed in 2016.
WPA Pedestrian Bridge
WPA Pedestrian Bridge
Location: Cross Mound Park
11615 16th Rd SW; Stoutsville
Hours: Open Year-Round, Dawn to Dusk
Other Names: Salt Creek Pedestrian Bridge
Bridge Number: 35-64-84
Original Location: Yes
Builder: WPA (Works Progress Administration)
Our Covered Bridges
According to The Covered Bridges of Ohio: An Atlas and History by Miriam Wood (1993, Table A-2), Fairfield County at one time had 279 covered bridges – the most timber truss bridges of any Ohio county. Fairfield County Park District now owns five of the remaining bridges. Take our Historical Bridges Road Trip to visit those five covered bridges plus the unique WPA Pedestrian Bridge.
Hannaway Covered Bridge
Other Names: Hanaway Covered Bridge; Clearport Covered Bridge
Bridge Number: 35-23-15
GPS Coordinates: N39 37.106 W82 40.828
Location: Two Glaciers Park
7410 Clearport Rd SW; Lancaster | Madison Township
The park’s main entrance is at 2260 McDonald Rd SW
Original Location: Yes
Builder: James W Buchanan
Hannaway Covered Bridge
Hartman No 2 Covered Bridge
Hartman No 2 Covered Bridge
Other Names: Lockville Park Covered Bridge
Bridge Number: 35-23-38
GPS Coordinates: N39.81781 W82.737099
Location: Lockville Canal Park
5895 Pickerington Rd; Carroll | Bloom Township
Original Location: No
Builder: William Funk or Jacob R ‘Blue Jeans’ Brandt
Johnson Covered Bridge
Johnson Covered Bridge
Other Names: Johnston Covered Bridge; Terry Mill Covered Bridge
Bridge Number: 35-23-16
GPS Coordinates: N39 36.806 W82 39.528
Location: Two Glaciers Park
2260 McDonald Rd SW; Lancaster | Madison Township
Original Location: Yes
Builder: August Borneman and Hocking Valley Bridge Works
Mink Hollow Covered Bridge
Mink Hollow Covered Bridge
Other Names*: Oil Mill Hollow Covered Bridge
Bridge Number: 35-23-43
GPS Coordinates: N39 38.329 W82 39.000
Location: Arney Run Park
2340 Meister Rd SW; Lancaster | Hocking Township
Original Location:
Builder: Jacob R ‘Blue Jeans’ Brandt
Rock Mill Covered Bridge
Rock Mill Covered Bridge
Other Names: N/A
Bridge Number: 35-23-48
GPS Coordinates: N39 44.950 W82 42.801
Location: Stebelton Park at Rock Mill
1429 Rockmill Place NW; Lancaster | Bloom/Greenfield Townships
Original Location: Yes
Builder: Jacob R ‘Blue Jeans’ Brandt
About Covered Bridges
Why Covered Bridges are Covered
Some animals balk at crossing bridges when seeing rushing water below. Many think bridges were covered to help people get their horses to cross. The real reason covered bridges are covered is that a wood bridge would probably not last ten years if exposed to the elements.
Covered bridges were designed to carry pedestrians, riders on horseback, horse-drawn vehicles, and the rare horseless carriages – all slow moving vehicles. Originally they were built without windows; the sides were solid. Many roads ran parallel to waterways. So to cross the water there was usually a sharp curve on at least one end of a bridge. When people were traveling in horse-drawn vehicles or on horseback, an oncoming vehicle could be easily seen and heard. Fast-moving automobile traffic led to many head-on collisions because drivers could not see or hear another vehicle that was already in or approaching a bridge. In the 1930s, windows were added for visibility to avoid accidents.
Numbering System
In 1940 John Diehl from Cincinnati devised a numbering system to identify covered bridges. The first number represents the State, numbered alphabetically; Ohio is 35. The second number represents the county, again, numbered alphabetically; Fairfield County is 23. The third number represents the number assigned to the bridge by the Ohio Covered Bridge Committee.
Ohio Bridges
By the 1890s, Fairfield County records refereed to covered bridges as ‘house bridges’. This may have been because they did resemble little houses.
At one time Fairfield County had over 270 wood truss bridges on highways, canals and railroads. By 1953, only 43 were still standing. As of 2007, only Pennsylvania had more still-standing covered bridges – 222. Ohio was in second place with 141. A more recent report puts those number at Pennsylvania 215 and Ohio 148. Perhaps some bridges were missed during the 2007 counting. Even today it is difficult to accurately count the number because many have been moved to private properties.
The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges website provides a link to “Ohio Covered Bridge List“. Some of the information on it regarding the bridges maintained by Fairfield County Parks is incorrect. Corrections have been submitted.