The Hassenplug Bridge is an historic wooden

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

which is located in

Mifflinburg Mifflinburg is a borough in Union County, located in Central Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Valley. Mifflinburg was first settled in 1792 by Elias and Catharina Jungman (Youngman) and their two children. They divided the land into 60’ by 1 ...

Union County, Pennsylvania Union County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,681. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County. Its name is an allusio ...

. The oldest covered bridge in the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryl ...

(the American state with the most covered bridges), it is also purportedly the oldest covered bridge in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1980.

History and architectural features

This historic structure is an ,

Burr Truss The Burr Arch Truss—or, simply, Burr Truss or Burr Arch—is a combination of an arch and a ''multiple kingpost'' truss design. It was invented in 1804 by Theodore Burr, patented on April 3, 1817, and used in bridges, usually covered bridges ...

bridge, which was erected in 1825 and overhauled in 1959. It was the restored again in 2021, a reconstruction effort which, once again, replaced the 1959 steel grate floor with historically authentic, wide, wood planks. This covered bridge crosses the west or south branch of Buffalo Creek, and was named for the Hassenplug family of the early nineteenth century who lived in the brick homestead that is located on the north side of the bridge. The Hassenplugs were well known locally for their production of German beer. ''Note:'' This includes It is the oldest covered bridge in Pennsylvania, and is purportedly the oldest covered bridge in the

. However, this distinction is also claimed for the Hyde Hall Bridge in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It was listed on the

in 1980.

References

{{NRHP bridges Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Covered bridges in Union County, Pennsylvania Bridges completed in 1825 Wooden bridges in Pennsylvania Bridges in Union County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Union County, Pennsylvania Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Burr Truss bridges in the United States