A Miller County bridge was recently approved by Missouri's Historic Preservation Council to be among the state's seven nominees for the National Register of Historic Places.
The council met July 17 and approved all seven sites being considered for nomination, said Miranda Fredrick, division information officer with Missouri State Parks.
While the other sites are in the Kansas City or St. Louis areas, the Grand Auglaize Bridge that spans Grand Auglaize Creek from Miller County into Camden County on Swinging Bridges Road near Brumley was also included.
The bridge is a 500-foot suspension bridge that runs east-west on the unpaved gravel road. It was designed and constructed by Joseph A. Dice "sometime between 1920-1931," according to the description on its nomination form.
Dice built seven such suspension bridges in Miller County in the early 20th century, including the Grand Auglaize.
While the county has done routine repairs over the years to continue to allow for vehicle traffic to cross - with a 3-ton weight limit - "the basic structural integrity of the bridge remains intact. The retention of its design can still be referred to as a 'swinging bridge' as no major modifications have ever been made to the original construction. In this regard, the bridge retains its historic character of the early 20th century," according to its nomination form.
"Crossing the Grand Auglaize Bridge is the same experience as it has always been - including the slight swinging motion as one slowly drives over the bridge, which can be a novel and distinctive experience for the public due to the increasing rarity of this type of bridge," the description notes.
The full list and detailed descriptions of each of Missouri's nominees for the National Register of Historic Places is available at dnr.mo.gov/shpo/moachp-agenda.htm.
Missouri's Historic Preservation Council is a group of governor-appointed historians, architects, archaeologists and citizens. The council works with the Department of Natural Resources' State Historic Preservation Office, which administers the National Register program for the state.
Nominations to the National Register are ultimately approved in Washington, D.C., by the Keeper of the National Register, who is currently Joy Beasley.