“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.” —Dr. Seuss
We’ve been chasing covered bridges since Kyle and his family moved to Pennsylvania in 2016. Pennsylvania is one of the leading states with the remaining number of covered bridges. At one point in time, it’s estimated that Pennsylvania had more than 1,500 covered bridges. Today there are 209 that can be found throughout the state and a total of 900 in the US. The first covered bridge in the United States was built over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in 1805.
A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof and siding, which creates an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structure from the weather, extending the life of the bridge from roughly 20 years to 100 years. But there are other explanations for covering the bridges. The spans were built to resemble barns so farm animals would feel more at home and not stampede as they were driven across the streams and rivers. Other explanations were to keep snow and rain off the bridge to keep the oiled planks of the roadbed from becoming dangerously slippery, to cover up unsightly trusses, to provide shelter to travelers caught in a storm and to provide a place to court your lady and secretly give her a kiss (the “Kissing Bridges”). The roof also strengthened the entire structure.
The Hassenplug Covered Bridge is located in Mifflinburg built in 1825. It’s the oldest existing covered bridge in Pennsylvania and believed to be the second-oldest covered bridge in the United States. The bridge is 80′ long and 16′ wide.
The Millmont Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge in Union County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1855 and spans the Penns Creek. The bridge is also known as the Red Bridge or the Glen Iron Covered Bridge. It is 131′ long and 14′ wide.
The Hays Covered Bridge is located in Union County and was built in 1882. It spans Buffalo Creek and is 63′ long, 16′ wide.
The Rishel Covered Bridge is located in Northumberland County. It is a single span bridge built in 1830. It crosses the Chillisquaque Creek and is 94′ long.
The Sam Wagner (Gottleib Brown) Covered Bridge was built in 1881. It spans the Chilisquaque Creek in Pottsgrove and is a single span bridge that is 85′ long.
See other Pennsylvania Covered Bridges that we’ve discovered at the following sites.
