Local Covered Bridges

The very first covered bridge in this country was built across the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The year was 1800.  Just forty years later in 1840 the first covered bridge between Spring City and Royersford was opened.

While the days of the covered bridge are certainly in our past, we are very lucky to live near three remaining covered bridges. Covered bridges were quite common in our area and especially in Chester County.  There were also several over
the Schuylkill River connecting Chester and Montgomery County.  In 1850 the bridge at Linfield, crossing the Schuylkill, was built. It was a town lattice design just like the one at Royersford that was built 10 years earlier. The town lattice design was more common to new England but there were some here in Pennsylvania.

The bridges were covered for one reason only, to protect the wooden structure from the elements. They were usually made by local craftsmen and served their purpose quite well. Being made of wood required maintenance and the structures were vulnerable to fire.  The weight and size of modern trucks could not be handled by these bridges so the ones remaining are usually found on back roads.  When they are in need of repair or replacement often local townships choose not to rebuild because of the cost involved.  The obvious result is the number of covered bridges remaining continues to decrease.

The three bridges I mentioned all span the French Creek. They are not that far apart and I think most people in our area are probably a 15 or 20 minute drive away.  In fact if one were to plan a short trip you could easily visit all three in an hour or two.

These remaining bridges are in full use and even though they are not on the main highway they all get considerable traffic.  Many people have a hobby of photographing old covered bridges and in fact there is a society in Pennsylvania named the Theodore Covered Bridge Society that is made up of covered bridge enthusiasts.  These three French Creek bridges are in picturesque settings and very inviting to the photographer.

All three are Burr Arch Truss designs, the most common design found in bridges across our state.

(1)      Rapp’s or Rapp’s Dam Bridge was built in 1866. People visiting this bridge should be sure to look for the original inscribed marble marker that can be found on the bridge wing.  Although Rapp’s Bridge did suffer major damage in the big flood of 1972 it was restored later that year. This bridge was closed in 2011 for a complete renovation and has now re-opened.  The bridge is located on Rapps Dam Road.

(2)      Kennedy Bridge about a mile upstream near the Kimberton Waldorf School was built in 1856. This bridge was built at the site of Kennedy’s Ford on the French Creek. In 1986 the Kennedy Bridge was burned down and destroyed by the hands of an arsonist. Through the efforts of many local citizens it was completely rebuilt in 1988 and is now used daily.  The bridge is located on West Seven Stars Road.

(3)       The third bridge on the French Creek is that of the Sheeder or Hall Bridge. Built in 1850, this is today Chester Counties oldest covered bridge. Located about a mile northwest of Wilson’s Corner this bridge has two names. It can correctly
be called Hall’s or Sheeder’s Bridge. It is actually County Bridge No. 194 as
all the bridges in the County were numbered. This bridge was completely
renovated in 1996 at the cost of $246,000. It is in regular use today.   The bridge is located on Sheeder Road and Birch Run Road. 

For more information on local bridges be sure to visit our SFAHS Museum library.