Lancaster County Covered Bridges
One of the popular symbols of Lancaster County is the covered bridge. One of the first covered bridges in America was built here. While covered bridges have all but disappeared from the American landscape, you will still find 28 intact covered bridges in Lancaster County, PA.
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Pennsylvania is often recognized as the birthplace of covered bridge building. From the 1820s to 1900 there were about 1500 covered bridges built in Pennsylvania. Because many state residents realize the importance of these historic bridges, Pennsylvania has the largest number of covered bridges in the nation. Today, 219 bridges remain in 40 counties (Pennsylvania has a total of 67 counties). Lancaster County has more than any other county.
While covered bridges are sometimes called kissing bridges, the real reason for the covering is to protect the bridge’s truss design from the weather.
The longest covered bridge in the world was built in Lancaster County in 1814. It crossed the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville, a distance of over a mile (5,960 feet). Ice and high water destroyed it in 1832.
Individual Covered Bridges in Lancaster County
Here are individual pages for just some of the many covered bridges you’ll find throughout Lancaster County, PA:
- Pine Grove Covered Bridge – Oxford (Southern Lancaster County)
- White Rock Forge Covered Bridge – Kirkwood (Southern Lancaster County)
- Jackson’s Sawmill Covered Bridge – Quarryville (Southern Lancaster County)
- Mercer’s Mill Covered Bridge – Atglen (Southern Lancaster County)
- Pool Forge Covered Bridge – Narvon (Eastern Lancaster County)
- Weaver’s Mill Covered Bridge – East Earl (Eastern Lancaster County)
- Bitzer’s Mill Covered Bridge – Ephrata, PA
- Red Run Covered Bridge – Stevens, PA
- Bucher’s Mill Covered Bridge – Stevens, PA
- Keller’s Mill Covered Bridge – Lititz, PA
- Erb’s Mill Covered Bridge – Lititz, PA
- Zook’s Mill Covered Bridge – Leola, PA
Additional Resources
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