The Rupert Covered Bridge No. 56 (also known as the Rupert 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 ...

Columbia County, Pennsylvania Columbia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,727. Its county seat is Bloomsburg. The county was created on March 22, 1813, from part ...

, in the United States. It is one of 23 covered bridges in Columbia County. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest existing covered bridge in Columbia County. The bridge is located in the community of Rupert and is open to traffic.

Location and traffic

The Rupert Covered Bridge Number 56 crosses Fishing Creek in Montour Township, in the community of Rupert. It is on TR409, near

US Route 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

Pennsylvania Route 42 Pennsylvania Route 42 (PA 42) is a state route located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at PA 61 in Centralia. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 220 (US 220) in Laporte. The route heads north through Columbia ...

, and the

Bloomsburg Fair The Bloomsburg Fair has been held in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, since 1855 and continues to this day. History It was originally held as an agricultural exhibition located on the lower end of Second Street, which is now Main Street. Since then it ...

grounds. The bridge is in the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

quadrangle of Catawissa. The Rupert Covered Bridge Number 56 is a 3-span and has a wider deck than any of the other covered bridge in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, but is still restricted to only one lane of traffic. It is open to traffic with no restrictions. An average of 375 vehicles use the bridge daily and six percent of the traffic is

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

traffic, on average while the other 94 percent of traffic is car or SUV traffic. However, the bridge is functionally obsolete.

Description

The Rupert Covered Bridge Number 56 is a

burr arch 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 with a single span long and the entire length is approximately . The road inside the bridge is wide, with a clearance of . The single lane main span is of the bridge is made of

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

and has a stringer, multi-beam, or girder. The deck and wearing surface of the bridge are both made of

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

. As of April 2011, the

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

of the bridge is in "excellent" condition. The deck is in "very good" condition and the substructure is in "good" condition.

History and etymology

The Rupert Covered Bridge Number 56 was constructed in 1847, making it the oldest existing covered bridge in Columbia County. The bridge was built by Jesse M. Beard for a cost of $1,637. In the late nineteenth century, Reuben Hess purchased from Thomas Knorr a tract of land near the bridge. The tract historically contained a picnic area known as Rupert Grove, which was situated in a grove. The Rupert Covered Bridge Number 56 was structurally deficient throughout the 1990s. However, it was renovated in 2001 and is still standing, as of 2013. The bridge was added to 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 ...

on November 29, 1979. It is owned by the County Highway Agency and was named for the community of Rupert. Rupert is itself named after Leonard Rupert, who arrived at the vicinity in 1788.

References

{{NRHP bridges Covered bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Covered bridges in Columbia County, Pennsylvania Bridges completed in 1847 Wooden bridges in Pennsylvania Bridges in Columbia County, Pennsylvania 1847 establishments in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Columbia County, Pennsylvania Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Burr Truss bridges in the United States

Location and traffic

Description

History and etymology

See also

References