Keller's Mill Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Keller's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge
that spans Cocalico Creek
in Ephrata Township
, Lancaster County
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Cocalico #5 Bridge. 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. 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. It was located at 40°10′11.4"N 76°12′16.8"W (40.16983, -76.20467) before being disassembled.
in 1873 at a cost of $
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 reopened on Middle Creek Road in December 2010.
Rebuilt in 2010
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
that spans Cocalico Creek
Cocalico Creek
Cocalico Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River in Lebanon and Lancaster counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The source is at an elevation of near Stricklerstown in Millcreek Township, Lebanon County...
in Ephrata Township
Ephrata Township, Pennsylvania
Ephrata Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,026 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land...
, Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Cocalico #5 Bridge. 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. According to Ephrata Township
Ephrata Township, Pennsylvania
Ephrata Township is a township in northeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,026 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land...
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. It was located at 40°10′11.4"N 76°12′16.8"W (40.16983, -76.20467) before being disassembled.
History
Keller's Mill Covered Bridge was originally built by Elias McMellenElias McMellen
Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen (b. 1839-11-16 - d. 2 March 1916, was a bridge-maker and Captain in the Union Army.McMellen's wife’s name was Annie E. Wenditz (November 13, 1841-April 1, 1899). They were married on 21 Sep 1865 and had the following children: ...
in 1873 at a cost of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
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 reopened on Middle Creek Road in December 2010.
Design
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, 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.- Length: 62 feetFtFt or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...
(18.9 m) spanSpan (architecture)Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
and 74 feet (22.6 m) total length - Width: 13 feet 2 inches (4.0 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width
- Overhead clearance: 11 feet (3.4 m)
- Underclearance: 9 feet 8 inches (2.9 m)
Rebuilt in 2010
- Length: 72 feetFtFt or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...
(21.9 m) spanSpan (architecture)Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
and 74 feet (22.6 m) total length - Width: 13.1 feet 2 inches (4.0 m) clear deck and 16 feet (5.1 m) total width
- Overhead clearance: 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m)
- Underclearance: 13 feet 8 inches (4.0 m)
See also
- List of covered bridges in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania