The Bedford County area has some interesting rural scenes, such as this barn with an unusual star made from repurposed farm equipment.
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From Bedord to Somerset
Travelling from Bedford to Somerset, one encounters a string of covered bridges. First up is the Herline Covered Bridge, which is a wooden covered bridge which is located in Bedford County. It crosses the Juniata River, and is one of fifteen historic covered bridges which are located in Bedford County. Built in 1902, this historic structure is a 136-foot-long (41 m), Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Turners Covered Bridge is found off Route 31 in Bedford County. It is an 89 foot Burr Truss bridge, with low side panels and open sides. Construction date is believed to be approximately 1892. It spans the Raystown branch of the Juniata River. This half height style seems to have been popular in the area, as you will see in this post. The bridge is County owned and rests on stone abutments, reinforced with concrete.
I heard several killdeer calling from this field. They sounded like shorebirds, which makes sense since they are related to plovers. The Colvin Covered Bridge has recently been refurbished. It is a multiple king-post bridge rather than the familiar Burr arch truss, resting on concrete abutments. Built in 1894, it crosses Shawnee Creek. The bridge is county owned and is 66 feet long. It was built in 1880.
Our trip now takes us into Somerset County. The New Baltimore Bridge is a covered bridge which crosses the Raystown Branch of the Juniata Rive. The Queen Post truss bridge was built in 1879 and is 86 feet 6 inches (26.37 m) in length and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide. It is one of 10 covered bridges in Somerset County.
I found these markers at covered bridges in Somerset County. 
The Glessner Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Somerset County near Shanksville. It was built in 1881, and is a 90-foot-long (27 m), multiple Kingpost truss bridge, with half-height plank siding and a tin covered gable roof. The bridge crosses Stonycreek River and is an interesting side trip if you are visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
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In and Around Bedford
The town of Bedford contains some interesting sights for the traveler. The Bedford Village Archeological Site is an archaeological site was once occupied by a Monongahela culture village. Today, the site is the location of Old Bedford Village, an open-air museum, containing a variety of historic structures transported to the site from the surrounding towns of Bedford, Everett, and Rainsburg.
Some of the structures at Old Bedford Village. 
It was a nice surprise to see this lovely horse and pony. 
Adjacent to Old Bedford Village is the Claycomb Covered Bridge. It was was built in 1880 in Reynoldsdale and was moved to its present location in 1975. It is a burr truss design, 126 feet long, which has been reinforced with steel to support bus traffic that frequents Old Bedford Village. The structure is unpainted and the roof is constructed of Cedar shakes. The deck consists of crossboard planks and the sides are totally enclosed. It sits on poured concrete abutments.
Near the entrance to Old Bedford Village, I couldn’t resist a stop at the Penguin, which has a large menu of hard and soft ice cream and other treats.
Finally, one of Bedford’s iconic sites is the Coffee Pot. -
It’s a Breeze
Get ready – the upcoming posts contains a lot of covered bridges. We will also continue the two-per-week schedule of new posts.
I used the extended July Fourth holiday to take another trip to the Laurel Highlands. The trip started with an exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Breezewood to see some covered bridges. The first stop of the trip was Jacksons Mill Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located in Bedford County. It crosses Brush Creek and is a 91-foot-long (28 m), Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1889. It is one of 15 historic covered bridges in Bedford County. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
There is also a very nice old mill building at this site. 
Nearby is Feltons Mill Covered Bridge, which is another wooden covered bridge located in Bedford County. It is a 105-foot-long (32 m), Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof, constructed in 1892. It also crosses Brush Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
I was not able to get a good photo of this bridge, as the entrance appears to be on private property. The access road had a rope across it and appears to terminate a short distance from the main road. The bridge might be viewable from the nearby main road bridge when the trees are not leafed out, However, this random haybale was sitting nearby, and you know I can’t resist a good haybale.
My drive around the Breezewood area also produced some other interesting sights, such as this interesting looking Church, with a very minimalist style.
More haybales of course. 
This old silo looked like a castle tower, if you squint. 
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A Ramble Through the Township
A nice summer day called for a trip through some of the more rural areas of my hometown, as well as its center.
The Diamond Rock Schoolhouse has been featured on this blog before. It is an historic octagonal one-room school which is located at the foot of Diamond Rock Hill in Tredyffrin Township, near Valley Forge National Historic Park. The Diamond Rock Schoolhouse was used as a school between 1818 and 1864. As the population of the area grew during the mid-1800s, the school eventually became too small, and it closed in 1864 when students were reallocated to other nearby schools. After 1864, the old schoolhouse fell into disrepair but was eventually restored in 1909 by the Diamond Rock School Old Pupils Association, a group of former students who saw great value in preserving their former school for future generations.
Some farm properties along Yellow Springs Road. 
Into Berwyn, a local church and the train station. 
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Up, Up and Away
Valley Forge National Historical Park is home to a model airplane field, a well-groomed grass runway (475 x 125) with a flight line that provides a beautiful view of the park. The field is used by the Valley Forge Signal Seekers (VFSS) Radio Controlled Model Airplane Club. VFSS is one of the largest and oldest clubs of its kind in the United States. Founded in 1959, with over 120 members. The club flies electric, gas, and glow-fuel powered planes and rotorcraft, as well as gliders and turbine powered jets.
I stopped by a recent event to get some practice shooting fast moving, flying objects, something I don’t get a chance to do very often. We’ll start with a close look at some of the planes on the ground. I am always surprised by how some of these large planes look so much smaller when in flight.
Now up in the air.
Love the purple on this one. 
Keeping up with the pros. 
There was some fancy helicopter flying here. 
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A Nockamixon Summer
The Sheards Mill Covered Bridge is very close to Lake Nockamixon and its State Park. The trip to see the bridge allowed to make another visit to the park and the surrounding area.
A very patriotic tractor. 
This door … 
… belongs to this barn. 
The Weisel Farm House and Barn at the High Bridge trailhead of Nockamixon State Park. 
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Sheards Mill and Its Bridge
Another covered bridge in a scenic area, the Sheard’s Mill Covered Bridge is located in East Rockhill Township and Haycock Township, Bucks County next to the Levi Sheard Mill. The bridge was built in 1873, and is 15-foot-wide (4.6 m) and 130-foot-long (40 m), making it one of Bucks County’s longest bridges. The bridge crosses the Tohickon Creek on Covered Bridge Road. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980.
I don’t see a Burr Arch truss. It looks like another Lattice Truss, like South Perkasie. 
The bridge is near the Levi Sheard Mill. It is also known as Sheard’s Mill and the John S. Clymer Mill, and is an historic, American grist mill that is located in East Rockhill Township, Bucks County. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2006. The first section of this historic structure was built circa 1825, with three additions built into the early twentieth century. The mill was purchased by Levi Sheard in 1844. In 1916, ownership was transferred to brothers Rubin and John Clymer. The mill continued to operate until the 1970s.
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A Bridge and a Town Known for Its Theatre
The South Perkasie Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that is located in Perkasie, Bucks County. It is the oldest covered bridge in Bucks County and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980. Built in 1832, this bridge is a 93-foot-long (28 m), Town truss covered bridge that once crossed Pleasant Spring Creek, but was moved and rededicated on August 15, 1959 as a feature in Lenape Park. It is the third oldest Town Lattice bridge in the country. The bridge was heavily damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021. As you can see below, it is currently closed for repairs.
South Perkasie is adjacent to the town of Sellersville which was founded in the early 18th century. It is centered on a major road known as Bethlehem Pike that connected Philadelphia to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley. The town was very small and was called Sellers Tavern. Its most notable feature was a large inn. The present Washington House in Sellersville, however, was not Sellers Tavern. When the railroad expanded to the area in 1856, Sellersville experienced a population increase. After the borough’s incorporation in 1874, there was even more growth in the area. Cigar, textile, and other industries established companies in Sellersville, including Schulmerich Bells (one of the world’s largest producers of electronic carillons and hand bells). Today Sellersville is largely a commuter town.
One of the best know institutions in town is the Sellersville Theater.
The Washington House Hotel and Restaurant on Main Street. 
The historic train station. -
A Historic Town
Christiana is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. Present-day Christiana was once known as Nobleville. The present name is after Christiana Noble, the wife of a first settler. It is notable as the site of the Christiana railroad depot, constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
In 1851, the town was the site of the Battle of Christiana, also called the Christiana riot. On September 11, 1851, Christiana was the site of the Battle of Christiana (also called the Christiana Riot), in which the local residents defended with firearms a fugitive slave, killing the slaveowner. Southerners demanded the hanging of those responsible, who were accused of treason and making war on the United States, but after the first defendant was acquitted, the government dropped the case. The trial was the first nationally covered challenge to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Today, the town is the sight of the Christiana Underground Railway Center.
Underground Railroad Center – hours are seasonal so check before heading out. 
Some other views from the town and the surrounding area:
