Herr's Mill Covered Bridge

The Herr's Mill Covered Bridge was a covered bridge that spans Pequea Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.[1] It is also sometimes known as Soudersburg Bridge.[2]

Herr's Mill Covered Bridge
Coordinates	40.0098°N 76.1622°W
Locale	Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Other name(s)	Soudersburg Bridge
Characteristics
Design	double span, double Burr arch truss
Total length	178 feet (54.3 m)
History
Constructed by	Joseph Elliot and Robert Russell
Construction start	1844
Location

The bridge had a double span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design. It was painted red on the outside, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges. Both approaches to the bridge were painted in the traditional white color.

The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-21. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as structure number 80003537.[3] It was located at 40°0′35.4″N 76°9′43.8″W (40.00983, -76.16217),[4] in Paradise Township on Ronks Road 0.4 km (0.25 mi) south of U.S. Route 30 to the east of Lancaster city.[1]

History

Herr's Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1844 by Joseph Elliot and Robert Russell at a cost of $1787.[5] It has a double-span, double-arch Burr arch truss construction. In 1875, the bridge was rebuilt by James C. Carpenter at a cost of $1860.[1] The bridge was later bypassed by a new concrete bridge and is now on the private property of the Mill Bridge Village Camping Resort. Owner Brian Kopan was quoted as saying "The bridge is in fine condition. We’re hoping to keep it as it is." In October 2018, the bridge was dismantled and was being moved to Elizabethtown, before it fell into the creek.[6]

Dimensions

• Length: 178 feet (54.3 m) total length[5][7][8]
• Width: 15 feet (4.6 m) total width

Gallery

• 
  The side of the bridge showing part of the main road to the left and Herr's Mill to the right
• 
  Another picture of the same side
• 
  The other side of the bridge
• 
• 
• 
  A horse and buggy going past the bridge

See also

• Burr arch truss
• List of Lancaster County covered bridges

References

1. "Herr's Mill Covered Bridge". Lancaster County Pennsylvania Dutch Country Official Visitors Center. Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau. 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
2. "The Covered Bridges of Lancaster County". Lancaster County, PA Government Portal. County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 2001-11-09. Archived from the original on 2005-12-26. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
3. "PENNSYLVANIA - Lancaster County". National Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
4. Travis, Dale. "38-36-21". Round Barns & Covered Bridges. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
5. Dr. Roger A. McCain. "Herr's Mill Bridge". A Guide to Old Covered Bridges of Southeastern Pennsylvania and nearby areas. Archived from the original on 2006-09-07. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
6. Robinson, Ryan (2006-09-30). "Rebirth of a covered bridge?". LancasterOnline.com : News. Lancaster Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 2006-10-01.
7. Bickel, Hank (2005-06-23). "Herr Mill / Souderburg Bridge". Covered Bridges of the Northeast USA. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
8. Note: Two independent sources disagree on this length. In other covered bridges, the McCain source agreed more closely with official government sources while the Bickel source seemed incorrect or perhaps just measuring a different length. In this case, the Bickel source states that the bridge length is 113 feet (34.4 m).