Keller's Mill Covered Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Keller's Mill Covered Bridge
Map
Information
Length 74 feet (22.6 meters)
Truss Type single span, double Burr arch truss
Built 1873
Builder Elias McMellen

Keller's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans Cocalico Creek in Ephrata Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Cocalico #5 Bridge.[1] 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)[2].

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.[1] The bridge is the only all white bridge in the county[3], the only bridge to have survived the transition from whitewashing to the red color commonly used in barns throughout the county.[2] The bridge is not painted on the inside.

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. According to Ephrata Township supervisor Clark Stauffer, the bridge has been disassembled and will be reassembled a few miles downstream to replace an existing one lane Mill Creek Road bridge[4]. It was located at 40°10′11.4″N, 76°12′16.8″W (40.16983, -76.20467) before being disassembled.[5]

The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-13.[5] In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as structure number 80003518[6].

Contents

[edit] History

Keller's Mill Covered Bridge was originally built by Elias McMellen in 1873 at a cost of $2,075. After being swept away in flooding, the bridge was rebuilt in 1891, again by McMellen.[3] It stayed there until it was disassembled and moved in 2006.

[edit] Dimensions [1]

  • Length: 62 feet (18.9 m) span and 74 feet (22.6 m) total length[2][7]
  • Width: 13 feet 2 inches (4.0 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width[2][7]
  • Overhead clearance: 11 feet (3.4 m)
  • Underclearance: 9 feet 8 inches (2.9 m)

[edit] Gallery

Side view

Construction on the new concrete bridge

Side of the bridge hidden from the roadway

Three Quarters View

Approach

Burr Arch Truss

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Keller's Mill Covered Bridge. Lancaster County, PA Government Portal. County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2001-10-20). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  2. ^ a b c d Dr. Roger A. McCain. Keller's Bridge. A Guide to Old Covered Bridges of Southeastern Pennsylvania and nearby areas. Retrieved on 2006-08-03.
  3. ^ a b Keller's Mill Covered Bridge. Lancaster County Pennsylvania Dutch Country Official Visitors Center. Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
  4. ^ Robinson, Ryan (2006-09-30). Rebirth of a covered bridge?. LancasterOnline.com : News. Lancaster Newspapers. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
  5. ^ a b Travis, Dale. 38-36-13. Round Barns & Covered Bridges. Retrieved on 2006-08-08.
  6. ^ PENNSYLVANIA - Lancaster County. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
  7. ^ a b Bickel, Hank (2005-23-06). Keller Bridge. Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.