Welcome to the Pennsylvania Covered Bridge web site, we are dedicated to the preservation and restoration of all remaining covered bridges through out the United States. Nearly 14000 authentic wooden covered bridges once existed in our Nation. Today less than 900 remain. Time and technology took its toll on the bridges until recent years when Federal grants came available for states to restore and rebuild many of the historic structures. Many of covered bridges are being destroyed by Mother Nature and at the hands of arsonist plus those that were on the verge of collapse.

Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Vermont have a combined total of over 550 authentic covered bridges with Pennsylvania leading with over 197. Many of the covered bridges still standing are over 150 years old.

The historic data given here is as accurate as I could find through out my researching the bridges. Finding correct information about covered bridges is a never-ending process. There will always be conflicting documentation regarding year built, builder, length of bridge, truss type and even the waterway it crosses.

I do hope everyone will appreciate the historical value that these bridges represent for the state of Pennsylvania and through out the United States.

Please feel free to contact us at anytime for directions to any of these fine structures. We have traveled many back roads armed with Pennsylvania Road Atlas, County maps and directions documented in books written about the bridges, and we still got lost on occasions. They say that getting lost out in the back country is half the fun looking for these bridges, I feel when you are dealing with light to get a good photograph you need to be there at a specific time. My advice to anyone who is interested in photographing these beautiful historic bridges and finding them in less time should invest in a GPS unit, I can say after using one in three different counties that they are the greatest thing that came down the pike. Many sites on the net have coordinates for each of the bridges and nothing can be more simple.

Bridge Information

If anyone has any information about restorations or destructions of any of the covered bridges in Pennsylvania please email me.

I will accept photos from any person of any covered bridges that are not displayed here. I would also like to have any up dated photos of any of the bridges I have on my site. I will give credit to the individual if I use the photo. Please send photos in 8X10, jpeg and 150 resolutions.

Bridges Destroyed:

1. Bittenbender (Luzerne County) This bridge has also been washed out by the same flood that destroyed the West Paden Bridge in Columbia County. No information on restoration.

2. Gudgeonville (Erie County) Tragedy falls on another one of our historical structures.
(Click here to read articles and view photos)

NOTICE!!!
"Gudgeonville Arsonist caught"
(Click here to see video and read the information)

Bridges Restored:

1. Shoemaker (Columbia County) This bridge has been restored August 2008.
(Click here to see restored photos)

2. West Paden (Columbia County) is under restoration at present.
(Click here for update on restoration) (Finished)

3. Pomeroy/Academia (Juniata County) is under restoration. Click on the following link for complete information. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pajchs/restoration.html

4. Kramer (Columbia County) This bridge has been completely restored.
(Click here to see restored photos)

5. Books (Perry County) This bridge has been completely restored
(Click here for photos)

6. Everhart (Dauphin County) This bridge had originally been built in 1881 and in 1940 was moved to Fort Hunter. The structure was then dismantled in 1980 and put in storage. June 2006 it had been reconstructed at Fort Hunter Park in Harrisburg, Pa.
(Click here for photos)

7. Saville (Perry County) This bridge has been totally refurbished.
(Click here for photos)

8. Bistline (Perry County) This bridge has been totally refurbished.
(Click here for photos)

9. Adairs (Perry County) This bridge has been totally refurbished.
(Click here for photos)

All photographs have been taken by Len Sherlinski unless otherwise indicated.

Email