National Register of Historic Places

Rock O' the Range Bridge

Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon
Listed
November 29, 1979
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002054

About this property

The Rock O' the Range Bridge, also called the Swalley Canal Bridge, is a bridge located north of Bend, Oregon, U.S., on a street adjacent to U.S. Route 97. It is the only covered span in the state of Oregon on the east side of the Cascade Range. It is also one of very few privately owned covered bridges in Oregon. William Bowen, a proprietor of land north of Bend, was forced to build an access road across the Swalley Canal to access his property. His bridge was inspired by the Goodpasture Bridge in Lane County. Bowen hired Maurice Olson to build the bridge; it was finished in 1963 for $4500 ($47,323 in 2025). High loads have damaged the portal boards and roof braces, due to an unusually short 9-foot (270 cm) clearance. Though the Rock O' The Range Bridge has a roof on it, it is technically not a covered bridge according to the World Guide because it is not supported by a truss. The World Guide appended a letter to the identification number to make it unique to other covered bridges. Because of its small size and safety hazard, the bridge is denied maintenance by Deschutes County. Upkeep is performed by homeowners using the bridge. List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon

Location

Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon
44.12295, -121.28638

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Boyd, Charles, Homestead Group
Industrial
2.8 mi
Hope-Van Allen House
Industrial
4.5 mi
New Taggart Hotel
Industrial
4.5 mi
Downing Building
Industrial
4.6 mi
Stover, B. A. and Ruth, House
Industrial
4.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rock O' the Range Bridge listed on the National Register?

Rock O' the Range Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Rock O' the Range Bridge?

Rock O' the Range Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rock O' the Range Bridge?

The period of significance for Rock O' the Range Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Rock O' the Range Bridge?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Rock O' the Range Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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