The Pool Forge Covered Bridge is a

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 ...

that spans the

Conestoga River The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the cente ...

in Lancaster County,

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, ...

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 ...

. The

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

is now on private property where it was once used as a storage barn before the owner added a road to receive vehicle traffic. The bridge has a single span, wooden, double

Burr arch 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 bridge ...

es design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is painted entirely red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges on the outside. The inside of the bridge is not painted. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in red without any of the traditional white paint. The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-01. Added in 1980, it is 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 ...

as structure number 80003510. It is located at (40.12967, -75.97683). It is included in the Poole Forge historic district as a contributing structure. ''Note:'' This includes

History

The bridge was built in 1859 by Levi Fink and

Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen (November 16, 1839 – March 2, 1916) was a bridge-maker and Captain in the Union Army. McMellen's wife’s name was Annie E. Wenditz (November 13, 1841 – April 1, 1899). They were married on September 21, 1865, and had ...

Dimensions

*Length: total length *Width: total width

Gallery

Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Three Quarters View HDR 3008px.jpg, A three-quarters view of the bridge Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Three Quarters View 3008px.jpg, Another three-quarters view showing the same bridge approach. Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Side View HDR 3200px.jpg, One of the sides of the bridge Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Side View HDR 3000px.jpg, The other side of the bridge Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge First Approach HDR 2950px.jpg, The approach to the bridge closest to the main road Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Second Approach 3000px.jpg, The approach farthest away from the main road entrance Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Inside View HDR 3264px.jpg, The Burr arch truss design on the inside of the bridge Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Inside Burr Arch Truss 3264px.jpg, A closer look at the Burr arch truss Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Steel Rods 3264px.jpg, An example of the bridge's steel hanger rods Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Underside HDR 3008px.jpg, The bridge's underside structure Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Underside Abutment HDR 3008px.jpg, The underside of the bridge showing where the Burr arch meets the concrete bridge abutment. The concrete bridge in the background bypasses this bridge. Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge Underside Joint HDR 3008px.jpg, An underside bridge joint showing the Burr arch truss design. Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge-from above-2020a.jpg, A view from above as you approach the bridge Image:Pool Forge Covered Bridge-from above-2020.jpg, A view from above

History

Dimensions

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading