Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Jackson's Sawmill Covered Bridge or Eichelberger's Covered Bridge is a covered bridge
that spans the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek in Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the West Octoraro #1 Bridge. The bridge is purportedly the only covered bridge in the county that is not built perpendicular
to the stream it crosses due to the placement of the sawmill on one side of the bridge and the rock formations faced by the builders on the other side.
The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County
covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color.
The bridge's WGCB
Number is 38-36-33. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as structure number 80003520, but it was removed from the Register in 1986 It is located at 39°53′49.2"N 76°4′48"W (39.89700, -76.08000). The bridge lies in Bart Township
, 3.25 mi (5.2 km) to the east of Quarryville
and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of Pennsylvania Route 372 on Mt Pleasant Road. Due to its remote location in an isolated part of the county, it is seen less than many of the county's other covered bridges that are closer to the major populations centers such as Lancaster
.
2,410. In 1985 it was destroyed in a flood and was rebuilt at a cost to the county of $75,000. During the rebuilding, the bridge was raised 3 feet (1 m) to protect it against future flooding. As of the summer of 2006, the bridge was in good conditions having undergone a recent rehabilitation in May 2005.
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
that spans the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the West Octoraro #1 Bridge. The bridge is purportedly the only covered bridge in the county that is not built perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
to the stream it crosses due to the placement of the sawmill on one side of the bridge and the rock formations faced by the builders on the other side.
The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color.
The bridge's WGCB
World Guide to Covered Bridges
The World Guide to Covered Bridges is a covered bridge numbering system. The system was invented by John Diehl, the chairman of the Ohio Covered Bridge Committee. The committee first used the numbering system in 1953 to publish a list of covered bridges in Ohio....
Number is 38-36-33. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as structure number 80003520, but it was removed from the Register in 1986 It is located at 39°53′49.2"N 76°4′48"W (39.89700, -76.08000). The bridge lies in Bart Township
Bart Township, Pennsylvania
Bart Township is a township in southeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 Census the population was 3,003.-Founding:The name of Bart Township apparently comes from a reinterpretation of the abbreviation "Bart." for "Baronet"...
, 3.25 mi (5.2 km) to the east of Quarryville
Quarryville, Pennsylvania
Quarryville is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,994 at the 2000 census.-General information:*ZIP code: 17566*Area code: 717*Local phone exchanges: 786, 806*Named for noted quarries in the area...
and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of Pennsylvania Route 372 on Mt Pleasant Road. Due to its remote location in an isolated part of the county, it is seen less than many of the county's other covered bridges that are closer to the major populations centers such as Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
.
History
The bridge was built in 1878 by John Smith and Samuel Stauffer at a cost of $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,410. In 1985 it was destroyed in a flood and was rebuilt at a cost to the county of $75,000. During the rebuilding, the bridge was raised 3 feet (1 m) to protect it against future flooding. As of the summer of 2006, the bridge was in good conditions having undergone a recent rehabilitation in May 2005.
Dimensions
- Length: 139 feet (42.4 m) spanSpan (architecture)Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
and 143 feet (43.6 m) total length - Width: 14 feet (4.3 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width
- Overhead clearance: 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m)
- Underclearance: 14 feet (4.3 m)