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List of covered bridges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

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The following is a list of covered bridges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania USA. Lancaster County has the most covered bridges in Pennsylvania with 28 covered bridges. Parke County, Indiana has the most covered bridges of any county in the United States with 31 covered bridges[1] All of the covered bridges in Lancaster County, except for the Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge, Kurtz's Mill Covered Bridge, and the Willow Hill Covered Bridge, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most have been on the list since 1980.[2] The WGCB numbering prefix for the county is 38-36[3]

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Baumgardener's Covered BridgeBitzer's Mill Covered BridgeBucher's Mill Covered BridgeBuck Hill Covered BridgeColemanville Covered BridgeErb's Covered BridgeForry's Mill Covered BridgeHerr's Mill Covered BridgeHunsecker's Covered BridgeJackson's Sawmill Covered BridgeKauffman's Distillery Covered BridgeKeller's Mill Covered BridgeKurtz's Mill Covered BridgeLandis Mill Covered BridgeLeaman's Place Covered BridgeLime Valley Covered BridgeMercer's Mill Covered BridgeNeff's Mill Covered BridgePine Grove Covered BridgePinetown Bushong's Covered BridgePool Forge Covered BridgeRed Run Covered BridgeSchenck's Mill Covered BridgeShearer's Mill Covered BridgeSiegrist's Mill Covered BridgeWeaver's Mill Covered BridgeWhite Rock Forge Covered BridgeWillow Hill Covered BridgeZook's Mill Covered Bridge
Map of the 29 existing covered bridges as of October, 2006 (clickable)

The bridges are an important tourist attraction, both economically and culturally. This is due to both their historical significance and, being in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, the frequent, iconic Amish horse and buggies bridge crossings. They are often visited in the form of covered bridge driving tours.[4]

History

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In the early to late 1800s there were approximately 1,500 covered bridges in the state of Pennsylvania. That number has decreased to just over 200 bridges, with more located in Lancaster County than any other county in the state.[5] The remaining covered bridges in the county are a remnant of a time where most bridges in the United States were made from wood, since wood was relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire. Bridge making, however, was anything but easy and required significant cost, effort, and time. The cost of the building the bridges was covered by government funds or by private individuals building bridges across their land. Since the bridges were built from wood, they were covered to provide protection from the weather, dramatically extending the life of the bridges. Nevertheless, as floods and fires destroyed more bridges, they were eventually replaced or bypassed with more durable and longer-lasting reinforced concrete and steel beam bridges.[6] Most of the existing bridges are owned by the county government which is responsible for periodic upkeep and maintenance.[7]

Modern status

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Throughout the years, many of the existing covered bridges have been destroyed, but were later reconstructed. For example, in 1972 a number of the county's covered bridges were either destroyed or badly damaged as a result of flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes. Notably, the Zook's Mill Covered Bridge managed to survive despite being filled with a few feet of water. The Willow Hill Covered Bridge, a relatively new bridge built in 1962, is a reconstructed bridge using materials recovered from the old Miller's Farm and Good's Fording covered bridges.

Design

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The covered bridges in Lancaster County are all built of similar construction and appearance. Some of this is because many of the existing bridges were built by the same man, Elias McMellen, who built 12 of the existing bridges. The most common construction method used was that of the Burr arch truss. It is found in its single and double span forms in almost all of the covered bridges in the county, except for the Landis Mill Covered Bridge, a multiple kingpost design. The Pine Grove Covered Bridge and Herr's Mill Covered Bridge (now gone) are the county's only double span covered bridges. While most of the bridges are situated in remote locations where there is limited traffic, a number of the bridges, such as Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge, were later reinforced with steel beams underneath the bridge floor and steel hanger rods on the sides to support heavier traffic or give the bridge additional support.

Historically, the Lancaster County covered bridges were painted with red sides and all-white portals.[6] Today most of the bridges retain this pattern, however, some of the portals are painted red with white trim (such as on the Zook's Mill Covered Bridge) or all-red (such as on the Pool Forge Covered Bridge). A number of these bridges also have the side panels painted red on the inside of the bridge while leaving the trusses unpainted. The Keller's Mill Covered Bridge is painted all-white, the only one of its kind in the county. Three of the bridges, Buck Hill Covered Bridge, Schenck's Mill Covered Bridge, and Shearer's Covered Bridge, have horizontal side boards. The rest of the bridges have vertical side boards.

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    The traditional colors of a Lancaster County covered bridge: red sides and white portals
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    An example of the Burr arch truss design used in most of Lancaster County's covered bridges
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    The underside of the Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge showing the reinforced steel bracing
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    A Burr arch truss reinforced with steel hanger rods

Existing bridges

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Bridge[8][9] Image WGCB Code Truss Type Length Year Original Builder Open to Traffic? Location
Baumgardener's Covered Bridge   38-36-25 Burr arch truss 120 feet (37 m) 1860 rebuilt 1987 Davis Kitch Yes (one lane)  
Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-04 Burr arch truss 90 feet (27 m) 1846 George Fink and Sam Reamsnyder Yes (one lane)  
Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-12 Burr arch truss 64 feet (20 m) 1891 rebuilt 1892 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Buck Hill Covered Bridge   38-36-15 Burr arch truss 58 feet (18 m) 1825 rebuilt 1844 moved 1966 Unknown No (Foot traffic only if given permission by the owner)  
Colemanville Covered Bridge   38-36-26 Burr arch truss 170 feet (52 m) 1856 rebuilt 1938 1973 and 1992 James C. Carpenter Yes (one lane)  
Erb's Covered Bridge   38-36-34 Burr arch truss 70 feet (21 m) 1849 rebuilt 1887 Unknown Yes (one lane)  
Forry's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-28 Burr arch truss 103 feet (31 m) 1869 rebuilt 1925 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-06 Burr arch truss 180 feet (55 m) 1843 rebuilt 1973 John Russell Yes (one lane)  
Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge   38-36-33 Burr arch truss 139 feet (42 m) 1878 rebuilt 1985 John Smith and Samuel Stauffer Yes (one lane)  
Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge   38-36-32 Burr arch truss 96 feet (29 m) 1857 rebuilt 1874 James C. Carpenter Yes (one lane)  
Keller's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-13 Burr arch truss 74 feet (23 m) 1873 rebuilt 1891 moved 2006 rebuilt 2009 reopened December 2010 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Kurtz's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-03 Burr arch truss 94 feet (29 m) 1876 destroyed during the Agnes flood of '72 moved to Lancaster County Central Park and last rebuilt by David Esh in 1975 W. W. Upp Yes (one lane)  
Landis Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-16 Multiple king post 53 feet (16 m) 1873 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Leaman's Place Covered Bridge   38-36-20 Burr arch truss 113 feet (34 m) 1845 rebuilt 1893 James C. Carpenter Yes (one lane)  
Lime Valley Covered Bridge   38-36-23 Burr arch truss 103 feet (31 m) 1871 Joseph Cramer or Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Mercer's Mill Covered Bridge†   38-36-38 Burr arch truss 80 feet (24 m) 1880 B. J. Carter Yes (one lane)  
Neff's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-22 Burr arch truss 102 feet (31 m) 1824 rebuilt 1875 rehabilitated 2018 Christian Brackbill Yes (one lane)  
Pine Grove Covered Bridge†   38-36-41 Burr arch truss 195 feet (59 m) 1884 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Pinetown Bushong's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-05 Burr arch truss 133 feet (41 m) 1867 rebuilt 1973 closed 2011 reopened January 2014 Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Pool Forge Covered Bridge   38-36-01 Burr arch truss 99 feet (30 m) 1859 Levi Fink and Elias McMellen Yes  
Red Run Covered Bridge   38-36-10 Burr arch truss 107 feet (33 m) 1866 Elias McMellen No (Private property)  
Schenck's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-30 Burr arch truss 96 feet (29 m) 1847 rebuilt 1855 accidentally damaged by a truck on December 31, 2017 Charles Malhorn and Levi Fink Yes (one lane)  
Shearer's Covered Bridge   38-36-31 Burr arch truss 89 feet (27 m) 1847 rebuilt 1855 moved 1971 Jacob Clare No (Foot traffic only)  
Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-37 Burr arch truss 88 feet (27 m) 1885 withstood Agnes flood of '72 closed September 2011 reopened August 2013 James C. Carpenter Yes (one lane)  
Weaver's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-02 Burr arch truss 85 feet (26 m) 1878 B. J. Carter and J. F. Stauffer Yes (one lane)  
White Rock Forge Covered Bridge   38-36-18 Burr arch truss 103 feet (31 m) 1847 rebuilt 1884 John Russell and Elias McMellen Yes (one lane)  
Willow Hill Covered Bridge   38-36-43 Burr arch truss 93 feet (28 m) 1962 Roy Zimmerman No (Foot traffic only)  
Zook's Mill Covered Bridge   38-36-14 Burr arch truss 74 feet (23 m) 1849 very little flooding from Cocalico Creek but has a high water marker from the Agnes 72 flood. Henry Zook Yes (one lane)  

Former bridges

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†Located on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County

‡Located on the border between Lancaster County and York County

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Parke County - Covered Bridge Capital of the World". 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  2. ^ "PENNSYLVANIA - Lancaster County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  3. ^ Bickel, Hank (2001-11-09). "Pennsylvania Covered Bridges". Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  4. ^ "Covered Bridges of Lancaster County, PA". Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center. LancasterPA.com. 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  5. ^ "Covered Bridges". Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center. Action Video, Inc. 2005. Retrieved 2006-09-26.
  6. ^ a b Conwill, Joseph D. (2004). Covered Bridges Across North America. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. ISBN 0-7603-1822-0.
  7. ^ "The Covered Bridges of Lancaster County". County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. November 9, 2001. Archived from the original on December 26, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2006.
  8. ^ McCain, Roger A. "Covered Bridges by County and State". A Guide to Old Covered Bridges of Southeastern Pennsylvania and nearby areas. Archived from the original on August 16, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  9. ^ Travis, Dale. "Pennsylvania by County". Round Barns & Covered Bridges. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
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