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By Mary Beth Schwartz
Thousands of visitors travel to Bucks County every year. History buffs enjoy learning about Henry Mercer, George Washington, and James Michener. Shoppers come for special boutiques and Peddler’s Village. Collectors enjoy hunting for treasure in local antique shops. Foodies crave fine cuisine at area restaurants and local produce at farm markets. And then there are the Bridgers—covered bridge enthusiasts who travel across North America to tour Bucks County’s unique covered bridges.
According to John Cressman, Chairman of the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society, Bucks County boasts twelve covered bridges and a boxed pony bridge. “Just the sight of a covered bridge brings to mind thoughts of old charm and romance. They are sometimes referred to as kissing bridges because kisses were stolen when people went through them. In Bucks County, you can still find the telltale remains of these romances in the shape of a carved heart on the heavy bridge timbers. There are remnants of old advertisements from local merchants, who once used the inside of the bridge as a billboard,” Cressman says.
The Bucks County Covered Bridge Society was founded in 2008. “The purpose of the Society is to promote, protect, and preserve the covered bridges situated within Bucks County. We promote tourism and educational awareness of the covered bridges. We work with local, state, and federal governments and agencies to protect, maintain, and repair the covered bridges. We also maintain historical data, documents, images, and publications about Bucks County’s covered bridges,” Cressman says. Currently, there are about 50 members, who enjoy meeting at the bridges in late spring and early fall.
“Since their construction in the late 1800s, the covered bridges of Bucks County have been a symbol of quiet rural life in our area. These bridges now are victims of neglect, floods, arson, vandalism, and progress. Bucks County was once home to more than fifty covered bridges. This year, with the help of a grant, private donations, and fundraisers, we hope to begin security work on Knecht’s Covered Bridge in Springfield Township, including the installation of lighting and security cameras, and in the near future, installation of a dry sprinkler system. Last year, six of the covered bridges were repaired and fireproofed by the County—Cabin Run, Frankenfield, Pine Valley, Van Sant, Uhlerstown, as well as Sheard’s Mill,” Cressman says.
The Bucks County Covered Bridge Society also is working with police departments and municipalities to respond to covered bridges when calls come in. Some towns have steep fines for damaging covered bridges. The Society also is coordinating bridge watches—working with neighbors around each of the bridges to alert suspicious activity. Bridge watches like this may have prevented the Haupt’s Mill Covered Bridge in Springfield Township from being destroyed by arson in 1985.
According to Cressman, the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society and the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau offer a self-guided tour of the thirteen bridges through the brochure Visit the Historic Covered Bridges of Bucks County. One of the bridges to stop at is the Cabin Run Covered Bridge, located on Covered Bridge Road between Stump Road and Dark Hollow Road in Plumstead Township. It crosses Cabin Run Creek, downstream from the Loux Covered Bridge. Built in 1871, the bridge is 82 feet long and 15 feet wide. It has vertical board siding, portals, and interior walls. The decking is on a diagonal. The bridge is quite dark inside, as there are no windows on the sides. Erwinna Covered Bridge, located on Giegel Hill Road in Tinicum Township, was built in 1832 and crosses the Lodi Creek. Fifty-six feet in length, this bridge is the shortest in Bucks County. Frankenfield Covered Bridge is located at Hollow Horn and Cafferty Roads in Tinicum Township.
This two-span bridge was built in 1872. It is 130 feet long, making it the longest of the used covered bridges. Frankenfield crosses the Tinicum Creek only two miles upstream from where the creek flows into the Delaware River. Knecht’s Covered Bridge, also known as Slifer’s Bridge, is situated in Springfield Township. Built in 1873, the one-span bridge is constructed of hemlock. One hundred and ten feet in length, Knecht’s crosses Cooks (Durham) Creek.
The Loux Covered Bridge is one of Pennsylvania’s 208 bridges. It is located on Wismer Road between Stump Road and Dark Hollow Road near Hinkletown in Plumstead Township. Built in 1874, the one-span bridge is built of hemlock. Sixty feet in length, Loux is one of two covered bridges crossing Cabin Run Creek. It is the second shortest bridge in the County, and the only one painted white. Located on Blooming Glen Road in East Rockhill Township is Mood’s Covered Bridge. The 120-foot-long bridge was built in 1874, and destroyed by arson in 2004. Through the efforts of the local community, it was reconstructed and rededicated in 2008. The traffic pattern now is one way, from Branch Road to 5th Street. Mood’s crosses the northeast branch of the Perkiomen Creek. “The morning of the fire, I was there salvaging the dowels that hold the trusses together from the smoking wood. The new bridge was built with the original dowels, and fireproof lumber, paint, and shingles,” Cressman says.
Continuing with the list is the Pine Valley Covered Bridge, located on Old Iron Hill Road in New Britain. This one-span bridge sometimes is called the Iron Hill Bridge. Built in 1842 of local white pine and hemlock, the heavily used bridge crosses Pine Run Creek. It is 81 feet long. The Schofield Ford Covered Bridge is located within Tyler State Park off of Swamp Road. This 1873 bridge was destroyed by arson in 1991. It was rebuilt through a community effort of more than 800 volunteers and reopened in 1997. The bridge was reconstructed on the original abutments and piers. The gray patina of the bridge is unique for a Bucks County covered bridge. Closed to traffic, the covered bridge is 164 feet in length. Schofield Ford crosses the Neshaminy Creek, and is the only bridge in Pennsylvania that has a Queen post truss system supporting a Town truss. “There have been at least twenty different truss systems used by covered bridge builders across the United States. The Town truss system was used in twelve of the Bucks County bridges. The Ralph Stover State Park Boxed Pony Bridge was built using the Howe truss design,” Cressman says.
Moving on to the next bridge—Sheard’s Mill Covered Bridge. Sometimes called Thatcher’s Bridge, this crossing was built so that farmers could access local mills. Sheard’s Mill is located on Covered Bridge Road between Haycock and East Rockhill Townships. The one-span bridge was built in 1873 and crosses the Tohickon Creek. It is 130 feet in length. The Ralph Stover State Park Boxed Pony Bridge is the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania. Located on Stover Park Road in Ralph Stover State Park, the Plumstead Township bridge is used for foot traffic only. It is 179 feet in length, and crosses the Tohickon Creek. Also located in a park is the landlocked South Perkasie Covered Bridge. Located on Walnut Street in Perkasie’s Lenape Park, the one-span bridge is constructed of pine and oak. Built in 1832, the bridge was condemned for traffic and saved from demolition by the Perkasie Historical Society. Over the portal of the 93-foot-long bridge reads the famous sign: “$5 fine for any person riding or driving over this bridge faster than a walk or smoking segars on”
The Uhlerstown Covered Bridge is located on Uhlerstown Road in Tinicum Township. Built in 1832, this one-span oak bridge is the only one that crosses the Delaware Canal. Last but not least is the Van Sant Covered Bridge. It was built in 1875 and is 86 feet long. This one-span bridge on Covered Bridge Road in Solebury Township also is called Beaver Dam Bridge. It was one of two built across Pidcock Creek. The second, removed in 1937, was the Neely Mill Bridge. It stood on River Road near the Thompson-Neely House. “Legend has it there is a ghost that lives in the bridge,” Cressman says.
After visiting Bucks County’s bridges, Bridgers should not miss out on New Jersey’s last public covered bridge. Hunterdon County’s Green Sergeant’s Bridge crosses the Wickecheoke Creek between Sergeantsville and Rosemont. This Queen post truss bridge was built in 1872 on abutments dating back to 1750. In 2003, the all-white bridge underwent a major reconstruction, including safety measures of fire retardant primer and a fire alarm system.
Although many of Bucks County’s covered bridges are gone, we can still visit them through photographs and documentation. Fred J. Moll, historian of the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania, has presented these bridges in his 2012 book, Images of America: Pennsylvania’s Covered Bridges (Arcadia Publishing).
According to Moll, most covered bridges were not toll bridges. However, for lengthy, expensive-to-build covered bridges, and covered bridges constructed by local bridge companies, there was a toll. The five-span Lumberville Covered Bridge charged 2 cents for pedestrians, 1 cent for wheelbarrows, and 5 cents per horse for carriages. It was constructed over the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal between Lumberville and Raven Rock. The five-span Town truss bridge had a length of 705 feet. In 1903, a flood washed out one span. It was replaced with an iron span. The bridge stood until it was removed in 1947.
The Upper Trenton (Calhoun Street) Covered Bridge crossed the Delaware River between Trenton and Morrisville. The seven-span Burr truss crossing was built by the Trenton City Bridge Company in 1861. It was 1,274 feet in length and consisted of two roadway lanes and two pedestrian walkways. It was destroyed by fire in 1884. The Centre-Stockton Covered Bridge also collected tolls. Connecting Centre Bridge to Stockton, the six-span bridge sustained constant damage from 1841 to 1923 when it was hit by lightning and destroyed by fire.
The 1814 New Hope Covered Bridge crossed the Delaware River from New Hope to Lambertville. Fines were charged for smoking, speeds faster than a walk, and for more than ten horses or cattle. It was destroyed by a flood in 1903.
The 1930s brought the demolition of several of Bucks County’s covered bridges, according to Moll. In 1930, the three-span Castle Valley Covered Bridge was destroyed. Built in 1835, it was 483 feet in
length, and crossed the Neshaminy Creek at the hamlet of Castle Valley. In 1936, the Mill Creek (Rockville) Covered Bridge was demolished. Built about 1830, it crossed Mill Creek near Langhorne. Krout’s Mill Covered Bridge near Pipersville and the Finland Covered Bridge in Milford Township were removed in 1938.
Many of the steel truss bridges we cross today once were covered bridges, according to Moll. The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown (Alexandria) Covered Bridge was built over the Delaware River between Bucks County and Hunterdon County.
The six-span Burr truss design was built in 1862. It replaced an earlier bridge built in 1844. Two covered spans were destroyed by the 1903 flood and replaced with two steel truss spans. The entire structure became a steel truss bridge in 1931. The Upper Black Eddy-Milford Covered Bridge was built over the Delaware River between Upper Black Eddy and Milford. The 1862 three-span Burr truss crossing had a length of 666 feet. An earlier covered bridge built in 1842 was destroyed by a flood. The covered bridge was replaced by a steel truss bridge in 1933.
One puzzle remains: where did the red color originate for the covered bridges?
According to Moll, paint was homemade in the early 1800s. The red oxide of iron was a coloring pigment that was commonly found in soil. By mixing red oxide of iron, skimmed milk, lime, and linseed oil, a red paint was produced that was well suited to paint barns and covered bridges. A signature of most Bucks County covered bridges is this red with white entry portals.
Thanks to the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society and dedicated Bucks County volunteers, great efforts are being made to preserve our covered bridges. These historic gems must remain for future generations to enjoy. For more information on the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society, visit them at www.buckscountycbs.org. Check out their Facebook page for the latest information on meetings and special events.
Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance editor who frequently writes for regional magazines.