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List of covered bridges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

December 18, 2023

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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.

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

Existing bridges edit

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 edit

†Located on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County

‡Located on the border between Lancaster County and York County

See also edit

References edit

  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. ^ . County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. November 9, 2001. Archived from the original on December 26, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2006.
  8. ^ McCain, Roger A. . 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.

December 18, 2023
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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 PennsylvaniaMap 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 Contents 1 History 1 1 Modern status 2 Design 3 Existing bridges 4 Former bridges 5 See also 6 ReferencesHistory editIn 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 edit 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 editThe 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 nbsp The traditional colors of a Lancaster County covered bridge red sides and white portals nbsp An example of the Burr arch truss design used in most of Lancaster County s covered bridges nbsp The underside of the Jackson s Sawmill Covered Bridge showing the reinforced steel bracing nbsp A Burr arch truss reinforced with steel hanger rodsExisting bridges editBridge 8 9 Image WGCB Code Truss Type Length Year Original Builder Open to Traffic LocationBaumgardener s Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 25 Burr arch truss 120 feet 37 m 1860 rebuilt 1987 Davis Kitch Yes one lane nbsp Bitzer s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 04 Burr arch truss 90 feet 27 m 1846 George Fink and Sam Reamsnyder Yes one lane nbsp Bucher s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 12 Burr arch truss 64 feet 20 m 1891 rebuilt 1892 Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Buck Hill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Colemanville Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 26 Burr arch truss 170 feet 52 m 1856 rebuilt 1938 1973 and 1992 James C Carpenter Yes one lane nbsp Erb s Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 34 Burr arch truss 70 feet 21 m 1849 rebuilt 1887 Unknown Yes one lane nbsp Forry s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 28 Burr arch truss 103 feet 31 m 1869 rebuilt 1925 Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Hunsecker s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 06 Burr arch truss 180 feet 55 m 1843 rebuilt 1973 John Russell Yes one lane nbsp Jackson s Sawmill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 33 Burr arch truss 139 feet 42 m 1878 rebuilt 1985 John Smith and Samuel Stauffer Yes one lane nbsp Kauffman s Distillery Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 32 Burr arch truss 96 feet 29 m 1857 rebuilt 1874 James C Carpenter Yes one lane nbsp Keller s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Kurtz s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Landis Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 16 Multiple king post 53 feet 16 m 1873 Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Leaman s Place Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 20 Burr arch truss 113 feet 34 m 1845 rebuilt 1893 James C Carpenter Yes one lane nbsp Lime Valley Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 23 Burr arch truss 103 feet 31 m 1871 Joseph Cramer or Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Mercer s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 38 Burr arch truss 80 feet 24 m 1880 B J Carter Yes one lane nbsp Neff s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 22 Burr arch truss 102 feet 31 m 1824 rebuilt 1875 rehabilitated 2018 Christian Brackbill Yes one lane nbsp Pine Grove Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 41 Burr arch truss 195 feet 59 m 1884 Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Pinetown Bushong s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 05 Burr arch truss 133 feet 41 m 1867 rebuilt 1973 closed 2011 reopened January 2014 Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Pool Forge Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 01 Burr arch truss 99 feet 30 m 1859 Levi Fink and Elias McMellen Yes nbsp Red Run Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 10 Burr arch truss 107 feet 33 m 1866 Elias McMellen No Private property nbsp Schenck s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Shearer s Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 31 Burr arch truss 89 feet 27 m 1847 rebuilt 1855 moved 1971 Jacob Clare No Foot traffic only nbsp Siegrist s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Weaver s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 02 Burr arch truss 85 feet 26 m 1878 B J Carter and J F Stauffer Yes one lane nbsp White Rock Forge Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 18 Burr arch truss 103 feet 31 m 1847 rebuilt 1884 John Russell and Elias McMellen Yes one lane nbsp Willow Hill Covered Bridge nbsp 38 36 43 Burr arch truss 93 feet 28 m 1962 Roy Zimmerman No Foot traffic only nbsp Zook s Mill Covered Bridge nbsp 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 nbsp Former bridges editBellbank Covered Bridge burnt in 1979 Daniel Good s Fording Covered Bridge Used to make Willow Hill Covered Bridge in 1962 Miller s Farm Covered Bridge Used to make Willow Hill Covered Bridge in 1962 Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge Created in the 1820s burnt during the American Civil War in July 1863 It was the longest covered bridge in the world over a mile and a quarter in length Risser s Mill Covered Bridge burnt on July 8 2002 Located on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County Located on the border between Lancaster County and York CountySee also editList of covered bridges in Columbia County Pennsylvania List of covered bridges of Bradford Sullivan and Lycoming CountiesReferences edit Parke County Covered Bridge Capital of the World 2008 Retrieved November 19 2008 PENNSYLVANIA Lancaster County National Register of Historic Places Retrieved 2007 03 20 Bickel Hank 2001 11 09 Pennsylvania Covered Bridges Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA Retrieved 2006 08 03 Covered Bridges of Lancaster County PA Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center LancasterPA com 2019 Retrieved June 21 2019 Covered Bridges Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center Action Video Inc 2005 Retrieved 2006 09 26 a b Conwill Joseph D 2004 Covered Bridges Across North America St Paul MN MBI Publishing ISBN 0 7603 1822 0 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 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 Travis Dale Pennsylvania by County Round Barns amp Covered Bridges Retrieved 2006 08 07 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of covered bridges in Lancaster County Pennsylvania amp oldid 1186865858, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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