Today’s visit to Lancaster County includes some covered bridged and nearby views. First up is Weaver’s Mill Covered Bridge, which spans the Conestoga River. The 85-foot-long (26 m), 15-foot-wide (4.6 m) bridge was built in 1878 by B. C. Carter and J. F. Stauffer. It is also known as Isaac Shearer’s Mill Bridge. The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Bitzer’s Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that is also on the Conestoga River. It is the oldest bridge in the county still in use. A county-owned and maintained bridge, it is also called Martin’s Mill Bridge, Eberly’s Cider Mill Covered Bridge, and Fiand’s/Fiantz’s Covered Bridge.
The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. Added later, secondary steel I-beams support the bridge from underneath. The bridge is currently unpainted. It was formerly painted red on the outside, and the inside of the bridge was not painted. Both approaches to the bridge were painted white. In July 2006, the bridge sustained some damage to its sides including some missing or broken panels. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The bridge was built in 1846 by George Fink and Sam Reamsnyder at a cost of $1,115. They used a single span, wooden, double Burr arch truss construction. The bridge has historically been referred to by a number of names that reflected the various mill owners. In 1962, it was proposed to replace the bridge with a concrete span, but the plan was discontinued after much public outcry.
The Keller’s Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans Cocalico Creek. It is also sometimes known as Guy Bard Covered Bridge (after a local jurist) and Rettew’s Covered Bridge (after the person that Rettew’s Road is named). Due to heavy road traffic on the aging, one-lane bridge, construction on a new steel and concrete bridge to bypass the covered bridge occurred in the summer of 2006. The bridge was disassembled and reassembled a few miles downstream to replace an existing one lane bridge. It was located at 40°10′11.4″N 76°12′16.8″W (40.16983, −76.20467) before being disassembled.
Keller’s Mill Covered Bridge was originally built by Elias McMellen in 1873 at a cost of US$2,075. After being swept away in flooding, the bridge was rebuilt in 1891, again by McMellen. It stayed there until it was disassembled and moved in 2006. The bridge was reconstructed in 2009. The bridge was reopened on Middle Creek Road in December, 2010. Keller’s Mill Covered Bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. The bridge is the only all white bridge in the county, with no red. In fact, just about all covered bridges were whitewashed both inside and out. It is the only bridge to have survived the transition from whitewashing to the red color commonly used in barns throughout the county. The bridge is not painted on the inside.
