Oakalla Covered Bridge

Oakalla Covered Bridge, built around 1898 by noted bridgewright Joseph J. Daniels, carries a county road over Big Walnut Creek a short distance west of downtown Greencastle (Wikipedia's covered-bridge list gives a construction date of 1875, but the county's National Register nomination and local tourism sources consistently date it to 1898). The 152-foot Burr Arch span, roughly 16 feet wide with 15-foot overhangs at each portal, takes its name from the former Oakalla Station on the old Big Four Railroad line. It is one of at least three surviving Putnam County bridges attributed to Daniels, alongside Baker's Camp and Dunbar. In November 2022, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office closed the bridge to all traffic after inspectors found serious structural integrity issues, and as of 2023 it remained one of the two Putnam County covered bridges — along with Dick Huffman — identified as needing the most extensive rehabilitation of the nine. County officials have since pursued grant funding for repairs, aided by the bridge's addition to the National Register of Historic Places in May 2024 alongside Putnam County's eight other historic covered spans. The bridge sits near the 3 Fat Labs wedding venue and remains a popular photography stop even while closed to vehicles.