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Day One
From Pittsburgh, take I-376 West to I-79 South to the town of Washington, Pennsylvania (PA). Your tour starts here.
Ebenezer Bridge
The Ebenezer Bridge is one of the most popular covered bridges in Washington County today. It was moved to Mingo Creek Park from Ginger Hill (where it crossed the South Fork of Maple Creek) in 1977, and placed on the abutments of an earlier bridge. Alterations had to be made to the structure of the bridge to incorporate it into the landscape. The revised structure resembles an old-style train caboose, when approaching the bridge from the side.
Directions:
From Washington, PA: Take I-70 East to Exit 27. Turn left at stop sign and follow under I-70 approximately 1 mile to stop sign. Turn right on Route 136 East. Follow approximately 4 miles to Chapel Hill Road. Turn left into Mingo Creek County Park to stop sign. Turn left to bridge on left after Park Office. Approximately 13 miles.
Henry Bridge
Although the Henry Bridge is popular among residents, its actual origin is not known. It has vertical board siding on both the side and portals, is painted barn red inside and out, and has a tin-covered gable roof. Two square windows, as well as narrow eave openings, are located on the sidewalls. It also has a deck of crosswise planking and moderate length stone-and-mortar wingwalls capped with concrete. The cut-stone abutments of this Queenpost truss bridge are braced by concrete supports. Because of its location within the park, it is a heavily-traveled bridge. Consequently, the deck of the bridge has been reinforced with five steel I beams that rest on the concrete abutments.
Directions:
From Ebenezer Bridge: Return right, passing Park Office on left, and follow approximately 2 miles. Bridge on right on Mansion Hill Road. Approximately 2 miles.
Wright Bridge
The Wright Bridge has a tin-covered gable roof with vertical plank siding that is painted barn red inside and out. The deck,abutments, wingwalls, and timber supports resting in the stream are also typical of other Washington County covered bridges. It is located just a few miles west of the Kammerer exit off of Interstate 70. This is the most easily visible of all the covered bridges in Washington County. With the exception of two, all of the Kingposts in the truss system are sawed, indicating that the timbers from a previous bridge were used. The original date of construction of the Wright is estimated between 1875 and 1899.
Directions:
From Henry Bridge: Continue through Henry Bridge on Mansion Hill Road to Route 136. Turn right on Route 136 West and follow approximately 2 miles. Turn left on Holman Road and make first left on Sumney Road. Follow approximately 1 mile and cross over I-70 to bridge on Ridge Road. Approximately 5 miles.
Leatherman Bridge
The Queenpost bridge design is constructed with vertical plank siding on both the sides and portals, and is painted barn red inside and out. It features a tin-covered gable roof and a deck of crosswise planking. The Leatherman also has two windows on each side, in addition to the narrow eave openings. Although the year of the Leatherman’s construction is unknown, it can be inferred that the bridge was built after 1860 because all of the timbers of the Queenpost construction are sawed.
Directions:
From Wright Bridge: Continue through Wright Bridge on Ridge Road and bear right at Y on Ridge Road. Make first left on Hixon Road. At stop sign, turn right on Vanceville Road and turn left on Scott Road. Turn left on Roberts Road and left on Letherman Bridge Road approximately .5 mile to bridge passed Dague Hollow Road. Approximately 5 miles.
Back to Washington:
From Leatherman Bridge to Washington, PA: Continue through Leatherman Bridge and make right on Valley View Road. Follow approximately 1 mile to Route 40. Turn right on Route 40 West and follow approximately 8 miles to Washington. Approximately 9 miles.
Day Two
Krepps Bridge
The Krepps Bridge is yet another Washington County covered bridge that has outlived any record of its construction. The Kingpost design of the Krepps has been braced with wooden supports. It has vertical board siding on both the portals and sides, is painted barn red inside and out, has a sheet metal roof, a deck of crosswise planking, and two rectangular windows on each side in addition to the eave openings.
Directions:
From Washington, PA to Krepps Bridge: Take I-70 Exit 17 to Route 18 North. Follow approximately 9 miles to Route 50 East. Travel through Hickory, passed the VFD, and turn left on Wabash Avenue. Travel under overpass and bear right on Water Dam Road (paved road). Follow approximately 3 miles to bridge at left on Covered Bridge Road (rough gravel road). Approximately 13 miles.
McClurg Bridge
The McClurg Bridge is covered on its sides and portals with barn red vertical plank siding, and is pierced on each side by three rectangular windows, as well as the eave openings. The McClurg Bridge also has a roof of cedar shakes and a deck of crosswise planking. It rests on stone-and-mortar abutments with short stone-and-mortar wingwalls, and has an additional U-shaped vertical timber support under the middle of the deck that rests in the ravine. The covered bridge has two commonly used names. It is referred to as "Devil's Den" because of a cave hidden behind a waterfall near where the bridge used to stand.
Directions:
From Covered Bridge Road (rough gravel road): Return left on Water Dam Road. Follow approximately .5 mile and bear left on Cherry Valley Road. Continue on to Joffre Cherry Valley Road and turn left on Atlas Cherry Valley Road. Follow approximately 2 miles and turn right on Route 18 North. Follow approximately 6.5 miles to Florence (passed the Post-Gazette Pavilion & Route 22 Junction). Make first left on Old Steubenville Pike. Bridge located 1 mile on left in Hanover Township Park. If park gate is locked, acquire permission to enter from the clerk in the Hanover Township Building on the right side of the road. Bridge not open to vehicular traffic. Approximately 11 miles.
Jackson's Mill Bridge
Jackson's Mill Bridge has outlived any record of its construction. There is record that a petition was filed in 1865 for a bridge to be built at this site. However, in many counties, bridge records were not kept, therefore, it is possible that this is a later bridge. Located in a remote country valley, its design is consistent with various area covered bridges. It is covered with vertical board siding on both the sides and portals, painted barn red both inside and out, except for the replaced boards, which are unpainted. The roof is sheet metal, the deck has crosswise planking, and the sides have two windows located at the ends in addition to the eave openings.
Directions:
From McClurg Bridge to Jackson's Mill Bridge: From Hanover Township Park, turn left heading west on Old Steubenville Pike. Follow approximately 2 miles and turn right on Phillips Road. Follow approximately 1 mile and turn right on Kings Creek Road. Follow approximately 1.3 miles to bridge. Approximately 4.5 miles.
Lyle Bridge
This Washington County bridge is tucked away in a remote, quiet valley along a gravel township road. This bridge of Queenpost design spans Brush Run and is the shortest covered bridge in the County. Although the year of the bridge’s construction is unknown, there is an inspection record which traced the maintenance of the Lyle from 1915 until sometime in the mid-1930s.
Directions:
Continue through Jackson's Mill Bridge on Kings Creek Road approximately 2 miles to Route 18. Turn right on Route 18 South and make first left on Old Steubenville Pike. Follow approximately 2 miles and turn left on Knowlton Hill Road (entering State Gamelands). At stop sign, turn left on Kramer Road (dirt road) and follow approximately 2 miles to bridge. Approximately 7 miles.
Back to Washington:
From Lyle Bridge to Washington, PA: Reverse on Kramer Road approximately 2 miles and turn right on Knowlton Hill Road. Turn right on Old Steubenville Pike and follow approximately 2 miles to Route 18. Turn left on Route 18 South approximately 18 miles to Washington. Approximately 23 miles.
Pine Bank Bridge
Although built in 1871, this bridge is unique to the area because of its later arrival on Washington County’s soil in 1962. With vertical plank-siding and a gable roof, this bridge was originally located in Greene County over Toms Run in Gilmore Township. In 1962, Albert Miller moved the bridge into Meadowcroft Village, a 19th century town recreated as a tourist attraction, with many buildings original to the period. Although similar in color to the other bridges, it differs in style in both its roof and portal design. The interior walls remain unpainted, revealing several old advertisements.
Directions:
From Washington, PA to Pine Bank Bridge: From I-70, take Exit 6/17 (Jefferson Avenue). Turn right on to Route 18 North and bear left on to Route 844. Follow approximately 11 miles and turn right on to Route 231 North. Turn right on to Route 50 into Avella and turn left on to Meadowcroft Road. Continue to follow blue and white signs to Meadowcroft. Pine Bank Bridge is located in the village.
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