Covered Bridges of Pennsylvania

Since I was a youngster I’ve had a thing for those quaint covered bridges of Pennsylvania that dotted the landscape in the rural areas near where I lived.

The Everhart Covered Bridge

The artistry of a wooden covered bridge is so cool!

It’s really surprising to find out that Pennsylvania boasts the most covered bridges of any state. It was not the first state to have a covered bridge. Connecticut holds that honor. I have seen various reports as to the exact number of these relics of a bygone era. I’ve read numbers of 209 and 219 as to how many of the more than 1,500 built. The remaining covered bridges are scattered across 34 of the state’s 67 counties.

New type of bridge needed

You might be wondering why this new type of bridge was necessary. A wooden bridge with a covered span was developed because it became obvious that the traditional European stone bridge would not be appropriate for the harsh winters in Pennsylvania.

The Bridges have names

It’s also fascinating to me that so many of these bridge were named for the pioneer families that lived near them.

Ladybug was hooked up at the Ben Franklin RV Park in York, convenient to Harrisburg and not far from one of those covered bridges that I loved so much. And you know what that meant. Steve and I HAD to set our to find the Everhart Covered Bridge which was close by.

Everhart Covered Bridge

Dark reddish brown wood covered bridge amid trees and lawn.

An idyllic setting for sure.

The Everhart Covered Bridge has a very long and interesting history. It was originally built around 1881. Its purpose was to enable wagons to cross the Little Buffalo Creek, at Newport, in Oliver Township, Perry County. The bride was purchased by Mrs. Margaret Wister Meigs in1940 for the sum of $70 and saved the bridge from demolition. Mrs. Meigs was the preserver of Fort Hunter, so her mission was to save this covered bridge. So she bought it and then moved the bridge to the property it’s on today. It was placed directly on the grounds of Fort Hunter, on the lawn right in front of Mansion.

Another dismantling

Years later, in 1980, the bridge was dismantled once again. This time it was placed in storage while the park on former Fort Hunter property was completed. When it was time to reconstruct the covered bridge, experts discovered that there were quite a lot of rotted and ruined structural components. The two dismantling and 40 years of resting on the lawn had taken their toll. But these elements were still invaluable to the process of recreating the bridge as we saw it this summer.

Steve and I passing through one of the Covered Bridges of Pennsylvania

Want to make your dreams come true?

One of the most romantic features of the Everhart Covered Bridge is the sign that hangs from the rafters smack dab in the middle of the bridge. The sign is a quote from Margaret Meigs and it invites you to pass through with these words: “If you would have your wish come true, The Covered Bridge you must go through.” Of course, my love and I had to obey!

This summer we’re planning on spending about 5-6 weeks in Pennsylvania. Our mission is to find as many covered bridges as we can. I promise to reveal our findings.