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Washington, Lawrence Co. Sites Up For Historic Designation

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The Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board will meet Friday in Columbus to review nine proposed nominations to the the National Register of Historic Places. 

One of the nine nominations includes a covered bridge on Bell Road in Washington County. 
 
Nancy Arnold, along with her brother Jason, nominate the Bell Covered Bridge.
 
Arnold says her family has long-standing ties to the structure. 
 
"Our family actually bought land out there right around the time the bridge was built and that land has been passed down the family through the generations," said Arnold. 
 
Arnold says that the bridge's acceptance as a historic building will be a huge reward for her and her family. 
 
"Mainly it would be an accomplishment. This is something that my brother and I thought about a couple years ago because of the family history. I am actual interested a lot in Geneology and family history and this just feels like a big part of that," said Arnold.
     
Although the bridge was built in 1888, busses and cars are still able to cross it today thanks to a renovation in 1998. 
 
Also nominated for the Historic Register, the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall in Lawrence County. 
 
The hall was built in 1892 and was used as the local post of an organization of Union veterans of the Civil War.
 
It also housed several city office and the public library.
 
The building was struck by lightning and caught fire in 1905, but where rebuiltin 1908.