Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge

The Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge was a historic covered bridge in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the village of Wilkesville in Vinton County, it bore a name derived from its unusual shape: the bridge was arched in the middle, rather than being flat like a typical covered bridge. Declared a historic site in the 1970s, the bridge had a history closely tied to arson — it was constructed to replace a bridge that had been burned intentionally, and it met its end at the hands of an arsonist.HistoryThe first bridge spanning Raccoon Creek southwest of Wilkesville was constructed in 1848; it lasted until 1870, when the Vinton County government contracted for the construction of a replacement. The new bridge failed to match its predecessor's endurance record, as it was intentionally destroyed four years later by a fire set by an unknown individual. At the time, arson was a frequent crime in southeastern Vinton County, and the county announced a reward of $1,000 for the capture of the miscreant responsible; however, no occasion ever arose for the reward to be paid. Within days of the bridge's destruction, county officials imposed a new tax to pay to replace the arsoned bridge, and under the leadership of Martin McGrath and Lyman Wells, it was completed within the year at a cost of $1,898. After decades of carrying ordinary road traffic, the bridge was found to have suffered structural deterioration, but instead of replacing it, county officials chose to reroute the road onto a new truss bridge built parallel to the covered bridge, leaving the covered bridge as a tourist attraction. Named a historic site in 1973, it remained in its original place until 6 June 2013, when it was destroyed by a fire that the state fire marshal deemed to be intentionally set.