McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge
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Upstream side of the bridge
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | McConnell's Mill Road, Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Nearest city | Rose Point |
| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1874 |
| Architectural style | Howe truss bridge |
| MPS | Lawrence County Covered Bridges TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003544 |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 1980 |
The McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge is a cool old wooden bridge in Pennsylvania. It's located in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. This special bridge crosses the Slippery Rock Creek inside McConnells Mill State Park. It was built a long time ago, in 1874.
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Discovering McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge
The McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge is a famous landmark. It helps people cross the Slippery Rock Creek. This bridge is special because it is made of wood and has a roof and sides.
What is a Covered Bridge?
A covered bridge is a bridge with a roof and walls. They look like a long, narrow barn. The roof and walls protect the wooden parts of the bridge. This keeps the wood from rotting due to rain and snow. It also protects the bridge from strong winds. This way, the bridge lasts much longer.
Building a Strong Bridge
The McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1874. It uses a special design called a Howe truss. A truss is a framework of beams that supports a bridge. The Howe truss uses both wood and iron rods. The wooden parts handle pushing forces, and the iron rods handle pulling forces. This makes the bridge very strong and stable.
The bridge sits on strong stone foundations. It also has extra support from steel girders underneath. This design has helped it last for over 150 years!
A Rare Design: The Howe Truss
In Pennsylvania, there are not many covered bridges left. Lawrence County, where this bridge is, never had many to begin with. Today, only two covered bridges remain in the county. One is the McConnell's Mill bridge. The other is the Banks Covered Bridge near Volant.
The McConnell's Mill bridge is extra special. It is one of only four Howe truss bridges still standing in all of Pennsylvania. This makes it a very important example of old bridge building.
A Historic Landmark
Because of its age and unique design, the McConnell's Mill Covered Bridge is very important. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list recognizes places that are important to American history. The Banks Bridge was also added at the same time. Being on this list helps protect the bridge for future generations.
Images for kids
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The bridge in its natural setting
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Another view of the historic bridge
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