Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 39°53′49″N 76°04′48″W / 39.8970°N 76.0800°W |
| Locale | Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Official name | West Octoraro #1 Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | single span, double Burr arch truss |
| Total length | 139 feet (42.4 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | John Smith and Samuel Stauffer |
| Construction begin | 1878 |
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The Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge, also known as Eichelberger's Covered Bridge, is a special covered bridge in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It stretches over the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek. This bridge is owned and taken care of by the county. Its official name is the West Octoraro #1 Bridge.
What makes this bridge unique is that it's thought to be the only covered bridge in Lancaster County that doesn't cross the stream in a perfectly straight line. This happened because there was a sawmill on one side and tough rock formations on the other. Builders had to work around these obstacles.
The bridge has a single span and uses a special design called a double Burr arch truss. This design uses strong wooden arches to support the bridge. It also has steel rods to make it even stronger. The floor of the bridge is made from sturdy oak wood. Like many covered bridges in Lancaster County, it's painted a bright red color, both inside and out. The paths leading up to the bridge are painted white.
You can find this bridge in Bart Township. It's about 3.25 miles (5.2 km) east of Quarryville. It's also about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Pennsylvania Route 372 on Mt Pleasant Road. Because it's in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot, fewer people visit it compared to other covered bridges closer to bigger towns like Lancaster.
Building the Bridge
The Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge was built in 1878. Two builders named John Smith and Samuel Stauffer worked together on it. The cost to build it back then was $2,410.
In 1985, a big flood hit the area. The bridge was actually washed away from its foundations! Luckily, it stayed mostly in one piece and landed a short distance downstream. The county spent $75,000 to fix it and put it back in place. When they rebuilt it, they made a smart change: they raised the bridge 3 feet (0.9 m) higher. This helps protect it from future floods. As of 2006, the bridge was in great shape because it had just been repaired in May 2005.
Bridge Size and Details
This covered bridge is quite long and wide!
- Length: The main part of the bridge, called the span, is 139 feet (42.4 m) long. The total length of the bridge is 143 feet (43.6 m).
- Width: The clear space for cars to drive on is 14 feet (4.3 m) wide. The total width of the bridge is 15 feet (4.6 m).
- Overhead Clearance: If you're driving a tall vehicle, the space from the road to the top of the bridge is 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m).
- Underclearance: The space from the ground or water to the bottom of the bridge is 14 feet (4.3 m).
Gallery
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A wide view of the bridge
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Three quarters view
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View of the inside of the bridge showing the Burr arch truss
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A closeup of the Burr arch truss
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A metal nameplate describing the 1985 rebuilding
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Sign inside the bridge describing its history
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The identification sign inside the center of the bridge
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The underside of the bridge
