Leaman's Place Covered Bridge in Lancaster County

 Leaman's Place Covered Bridge spans the Pequea Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1845 and is officially Pequea Bridge #4. It's located on Belmont Road in Leacock/Paradise Township. Back in the 1800's the land surrounding the bridge was inhabited by Pequaw's Indians. Now you'll find the area surrounding it dotted with various farm lands...some of them owned by the Amish.

It's a single span, double Burr Arch Truss wooden covered bridge measuring 113 feet long, spanning across the Pequea Creek. Clearance is 10 feet 6". It's open to vehicular traffic but be careful crossing because it's a single lane bridge. 

On the outside of the bridge you'll find the historical information plaque containing detailed information about the designer and construction of the bridge along with some historical facts. Inside the bridge hanging on the wall you'll find the metal plaque with official county information. 

You can get out and photograph the covered bridge by pulling over alongside of the road. It's not a heavily trafficed road but you do need to watch for passing vehicles. It's painted in the traditional barn red and white colors. In 1980 it was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Note: You can double-click on each image to have it automatically open up in an enlarged size to allow you to see all of the details. If you love Pennsylvania Covered Bridges, check out the others on our Pennsylvania Travel Blog.

Outdoor Wall Mural of the Thomas Covered Bridge in Indiana County

We were taking the covered bridge tourist trail through Indiana County to visit the historic Thomas Covered Bridge. Right before you get to the bridge we passed through an old underpass on a country back road. To my surprise that underpass had a pretty outdoor wall mural painted on both sides of it.

We're big fans of outdoor street art, hand-painted barn murals, wall murals on buildings, etc. We couldn't stop to photograph it properly due to the oncoming traffic and narrow areas to pull over. We slowed down and tried to get the best photos of it that we could.

According to the signature it was painted in 2012 by four different people (check out the bottom right corner) to see the signatures. It's pretty worn in areas, so it was difficult to read. 

The art mural features a hand-painted design of the historic Thomas Covered Bridge. The right side of the underpass has the covered bridge depiction along with lush green trees and foliage. It says Thomas Bridge 1879 at the top and a hand-painted "Walk Your Horse" description.

If you wanted to get better photographs of it I would suggest parking at the Thomas Covered Bridge and walking up to it...alongside the road. It's not a heavily traveled road, but was busy on the day we were visiting. 

Covered Bridges Driving Tour Through Indiana County

Indiana County is home to four historic covered bridges. Whether you're just passing through the area or live within the state...they're a great place to visit. We enjoy taking day trips around the great state of Pennsylvania while driving the backroads and visiting the small towns. On this particular day trip we enjoyed visiting the covered bridges.

You'll find four of them located in Indiana County with all being constructed in the late 1800's to early 1900's. The four bridges are: Harmon, Kintersburg, Trusal, and Thomas. The Thomas Covered Bridge is the only one that is still open to traffic. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

All four are within easy driving distance from one another. We visited all four in less than 2 hours of driving time. Trust me, we took our good old time with stopping off to shop at a little local country general store along the way. 

Thomas Covered Bridge is located on 280 Thomas Covered Bridge Road in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Kintersburg Covered Bridge is located on 2730 Musser Road in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Trusal Covered Bridge is located on 1961 Trusal Road in Creekside, Pennsylvania.

Harmon Covered Bridge is located on 2725 Donahue Road in Creekside, Pennsylvania. 

The Harmon and Trusal Bridges are companion bridges located on the South Branch of Plum Creek just off Five Points Road. All four are located in a picturesque farm setting. Great for couple engagement and family photographs.

You can find a free driving tour map located on the Indiana County Parks website. You can download the PDF drving map HERE. All of the addresses posted above for each bridge are accurate and worked perfectly when used in our GPS. We had no problem finding them.

We were doing the driving tour as part of a day trip experience. My wife packed up a picnic style lunch, snacks, and beverages in a cooler. We enjoyed our picnic lunch while visiting the Trusal Bridge since we could safely park there and get out to walk around. If you wish to do the same, you'll find plenty of areas along the way that you can utilize for a little picnic-style lunch.

Turner's Covered Bridge in Bedford County

Turner's Covered Bridge is located in Bedford County, 2 miles west of Manns Choice in Pennsylvania. You'll find it in Harrison Township between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and US Route 31. It's fairly easy to find and located on a back road. You can pull off to the side of the road to visit the bridge.

It was built in 1892 and spans across the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Measures 89 feet in length and is one of 15 historic bridges in Bedford County. The bridge features a shallow Gable roof and done in the Burr Truss design. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The bridge has an alternative name of Diehl's Bridge and was featured in the opening scenes of the anthology television series "Tales from the Darkside". It's still open to traffic with a clearance of 12.0 feet. Bedford County Bridge #18. 

One of the things I really like about this covered bridge is that the sides are open! You can see for several miles in either direction if you're standing in the bridge. It's narrow, so if you're walking into it...please be aware of any oncoming traffic. 

If you enjoy visiting the Pennsylvania Covered Bridges you can check out our Covered Bridges section to learn more about the ones that we've visited. It's always nice to get out of the city and take a long drive in the countryside.

The Harmon Covered Bridge in Indiana County

The Harmon Covered Bridge and the Trusal Covered Bridge are companion bridges located on the South Branch of Plum Creek just off Five Points Road in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. You'll find the Harmon Bridge located at 2725 Donahue Road in Creekside. It's bridge #PA-32-04. 

John R. Carnahan constructed the Harmon Bridge in July 1910. The bridge was designed by Thomas Pealer, Indiana County Engineer and was named for J. S. Harmon,  a nearby farmer and Civil War veteran who survivded imprisonment at Andersonville, Georgia. Original construction cost of $525.00. 

Harmon Covered Bridge is constructed with Town Lattice Truss. A new highway bridge was constructed upstream of the bridge in 1984. It measures 45 feet long by 12 feet wide. It is the youngest covered bridge in Indiana County. 

Did you know that Pennsylvania has more covered bridges than any other state? There are 22 covered bridges remaining in Pennsylvania with 151 still open to traffic. At one time Indiana County had at least 40 covered bridges. The greatest era of covered bridge building was from the 1820's to the end of the 19th century.  Wood is still used in bridges. The modern bridges located upstream are constructed of wooden glue laminated beams nd decking treted with creosote. 

When visiting this bridge you can park and walk right up and through it. It's located in the countryside, so it makes a great backdrop for family and couple photographs. You can check out our other post on the Trusal Covered Bridge to learn more about that one. You'll want to visit BOTH of them while you're there.

Note: You can double-click on each photo in this post to have it open up in  new window and in an enlarged size so that you can see the details. Check out our other posts on various covered bridges located throughout the great state of Pennsylvania.

Trusal Covered Bridge is the Oldest Bridge in Indiana County

Trusal Bridge is the oldest covered bridge in Indiana County. At 41 feet is the shortest of the county's bridges. The bridge is named for Robert Trusal, a Civil War veteran and nearby property owner. It was also known as Dice's Bridge, for Thomas Dice who resided in the area. It was built in 1870. 

The covered bridge is constructed with a Town Lattice Truss. Ithiel Town of Connecticut parented this style of truss in 1820. The Town Lattice was a popular truss design because it was easy to construct and used smaller dimensional lumber than other truss designs.

A new highway bridge was constructed upstream of the Trusal Bridge in 1990 over the South Branch of Plum Creek. The bridge is 12 feet wide and located at 1961 Trusal Road in Creekside, Pennsylvania 15732. You'll find it located about one-half mile downstream of the Harmon Covered Bridge if you're taking the tour. 

Indiana County's covered bridges were not always painted red. It wasn't until 1965 that their covered bridges were painted. Trusal Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Number PA-32-03. It's closed to vehicular traffic but they welcome guests to visit the bridge as part of the Indiana County Parks and Trails. 

You can check out all of our Pennsylvania Covered Bridges posts while visiting our travel blog.

The Historic Kintersburg Covered Bridge in Indiana County

Indiana County is home to four historic wooden covered bridges in Pennsylvania. They were all built in the late 1800's to early 1900's with only one of them still in operation today. The four covered bridges are: Kintersburg, Thomas, Trusal, and Harmon. All four of them are within easy driving distance from one another. 

Each one is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and you'll find ID plaques with that information located on each bridge. The Kintersburg Bridge is number PA-32-05. It was built in 1877 by J.S. Fleming. The Truss Type is HOWE and it is 68 feet in length, 14 1/2 feet wide spamming across the Crooked Creek. 

GPS Address: 2730 Musser Road, Indiana, Pennsylvania 15701

We used that specific address and it popped right up in our GPS. 

Kintersburg Bridge was named for Isaac Kinter, a local shopkeepr. J.S. Fleming erected the bridge over Crooked Creek at a cost of $893 according to the information. The Kintersburg Covered Bridge is the only Howe truss bridge in Indiana County and one of only five Howe truss bridges remaining in Pennsylvania. 

There's an area where you can park your vehicle and walk up and through the bridge. On the day that we were there we met another couple who was also taking the covered bridges tour through Indiana County. It's always nice to meet new people while traveling.

Visiting the Thomas Covered Bridge in Indiana County

Indiana County in Pennsylvania has 4 covered bridges that were constructed in the late 1800's through the early 1900's. The four bridges are: Thomas, Harmon, Trusal, and Kintersburg. All four are within easy driving distance from one another. The Thomas Covered Bridge is the ONLY one that is still in operation today.

All four of the bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Thomas Bridge is number PA-32-02 and is located at 280 Thomas Covered Bridge Road in Indiana Pennsylvania. Use that address in your GPS and driving directions should pop right up. 

The bridge was built in 1879 and rebuilt in 1998. Truss type: Town Lattice with a bridge length of 75 feet. The builder was Amos Thomas and the bridge spans across the Crooked Creek. It is the longest of the Indiana County covered bridges. 

This one is still in operation today so you will see traffic using it. I recommend pulling down past the bridge and off to the side of the road. Make sure you watch for oncoming traffic if you're getting out to photograph it. It's NOT a heavily trafficed area...used mostly by locals and tourists who are taking the covered bridge tour.

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Visiting the Trostletown Covered Bridge in Somerset County

The Trostletown Covered Bridge is located in Somerset County. You'll find it located at 349 North Club Road in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. It's one of ten historic covered bridges that are located in the county. This one isn't open to vehicular traffic...just for locals and tourists to enjoy. 

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According to information posted on the bridge it was built in 1873. It spans Stonycreek and is 104 feet long by 12 1/2 feet wide. Features Queen Post and King Post construction with a shingled gable roof. In 1965 the Stoystown Lions Club took over the bridge and has been lovingly restoring & maintaining it. You'll find a plaque inside with renovation acknowledgments.

Inside you'll find a Conestoga Wagon that was donated in 2010 to the Stoystown Area Historical Society by Charles K. Miller, Susan Buchanan, Kathryn Gallo, and Lynn Barnhart. You can walk through the bridge to get up close to the wagon. It would be nice to see a few more period pieces displayed in there.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This was my favorite bridge located in Somerset County. Definitely worth the visit.

Across the street you'll find the American Legion Post 257 that has an on-site veterans memorial for you to check out. It's dedicated to the veterans of all wars. It features a Huey Helicopter and a M-60 Tank along with the veteran's monument. There's a bench you can sit on to take-in the beautiful landscape of the surrounding area. 

You can check out additional Covered Bridges located in Pennsylvania by visiting the COVERED BRIDGES section on the PA Travel Blog. 

The Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge

The Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge spans the Housatonic River just east of the village Sheffield Plain in Massachusetts. The original bridge was built in 1837 and was destroyed by a fire in 1994. Today you'll see a replica of the old bridge in it's place. The lattice truss style bridge was once the oldest, original covered bridge in the state. It was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. 

Measuring 93 feet long it proudly sits on two granite abutments. After the fire in 1994 (determined to be arson), it was closed down and rebuilt. Once completed in 1996, visitors were once again visiting the historic site. It's not open to vehicular traffic, but pedestrians are welcome to visit and photograph it.

You'll find it located in Sheffield, Massachusetts just off of U.S. Route 7 spanning across the Housatonic River. It's not the easiest bridge to get to, so you may want to use these coordinates 42°7′26″N 73°21′17″W to find it. It's a classic looking covered bridge and worth seeing if you're in the area.

Shenk's Mill Covered Bridge in Lancaster County

Shenk's Mill Covered Bridge is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and was built in 1855 by Charles Malhorn and Levi Fink. It's owned and maintained by Lancaster County. You'll find it located on Erisman Road, not far from Spooky Nook Indoor Sport's Complex if you're familiar with the area. Officially it's in East Hempfield and Rapho Townships.

When approaching the bridge you'll find a small pull-off area where you can park your car and walk up to the bridge. At the one approach you'll find the official marker that will give you history on the bridge and it's builders. The bridge spans across Chiques Creek and is officially called the Big Chiques #4 bridge. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge is 96 feet long, 15 feet wide with a clearance of 10 feet 6 inches in height. It's a single span bridge done in the Double Burr Arch Trusses design. Like the majority of the covered bridges found in Lancaster County it's painted in the traditional barn red color with white approaches. It's one of only three bridges in the entire county with horizontal side boards. I personally like the built-in widows that allow you to see the Chiques creek flowing underneath it.

Inside the bridge you'll find the official metal marker plaque that gives you the county information for it. You'll find it tacked up on a post by the window at the one end. When entering the inside you do need to be careful of the approaching traffic. There's really no room for pedestrians to be on the bridge while a vehicle is trying to pass by. If you're traveling with someone...have them be the lookout while you enter and vice-versa.

The Shenk's Mill Covered Bridge was our third stop on the covered bridges tour through Lancaster County. Our first stop was the Forry's Mill Bridge and our second stop was the Seigrist's Mill Bridge. The later two bridges only sit one mile apart. You can learn more about those two bridges in our Covered Bridges section right here on the blog.

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Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge in Lancaster County

The Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and was built in 1885 by James C. Carpenter. The builder built a total of nine bridges across Lancaster County with five of them still remaining today.

You'll find it located on Siegrist Road in Rapho and West Hempfield Townships. It's owned and maintained by the county and is officially called the Big Chiques #6 Bridge since it spans the Chiques Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

It measures approximately 100 feet in length, 15 feet wide with a 10 foot 0 inch clearance. The bridge has a single span and is in the Burr Arch Trusses Design with the deck made from oak planks. It looks a lot like other bridges found in the country due to the traditional paint color of barn red with both approaches painted in white.

At the one approach to the bridge you'll find the historical marker which gives you some of the history on it. It's approximately a 5 minute read if you're interested. Inside the bridge you'll find the official county plaque that gives you a little bit of information on it. You'll find it tacked up on an inside wall near the approach.

When visiting this one we had to pull off to the side of the road in a patch of knee-high weeds. There was no official pull-off area, so you do need to be careful. We had to be mindful of traffic (not a lot of it) but it's hard to see if anyone is coming if you're standing inside the bridge. We found it best to have one person stand outside keeping an eye on approaching traffic.

The Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge was the second stop on the Lancaster County Covered Bridge tour with the Forry's Mill Covered Bridge being the first. You'll find Forry's Mill located less than one mile away, so while you're there...take the short drive to see that one too.

Interested in learning more about Pennsylvania's covered bridges? You can check out our Covered Bridges section on our travel blog to learn more! We're on a mission to visit all of them in our great state and will be documenting them on the blog for our readers to enjoy.

Note: You can double-click on each photograph to have it automatically open up in a new browsing window and in an enlarged size. We try to keep our images a reasonable size for our mobile readers. Thank you for reading our travel blog.

Forry's Mill Covered Bridge in Lancaster County

One thing that Pennsylvania is known for are the beautiful covered bridges that criss-cross this great state. They serve the purpose in helping travelers cross rivers and creeks in their horse & buggies or automobiles. Over the decades many of them have been taken down or replaced with modern bridges while others have been lovingly restored.

Forry's Mill Covered Bridge is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It spans Chiques Creek and was built in 1869 by Elias McMellen. It's located in Rapho/West Hempfield Townships and is located on Bridge Valley Road. It's just one of many covered bridges on the Lancaster County Covered Bridges tour.

The bridge is county-owned and maintained and is officially known as the Big Chiques #7 Bridge. Measuring 103 feet long, 12 feet 10 inches wide, with a clearance of 11 feet 6 inches. Painted in the classic barn red color with both approaches painted in white. It has a single span and done in the double Burr arch trusses design.

You'll find an official historical marker located alongside the road that contains information and history. The interior of the bridge contains another plaque that you can read and photograph. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

When visiting the safest place for you to park is in the pull-off area located in front of the small sewage treatment facility that sits near one approach to the bridge. Park your car and walk up to the historical marker to read it. You do need to pay attention to others who are traveling on the road as we saw some people flying by and not looking out for pedestrians and sight-seers.

We really enjoyed seeing the Forry's Mill Covered Bridge and spent about 20 minutes at the site. It was the first stop on our Lancaster County Covered Bridge Tour. Less than a mile away is the Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge which was our second stop.

Over the next few months we'll be traveling across the state of Pennsylvania to check out additional covered bridges and sharing that information on the blog. You can check out our covered bridges section to learn more and to follow our adventure.