Lime Valley Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Lime Valley Covered Bridge or Strasburg Bridge is a covered bridge
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 Pequea Creek
Pequea Creek
Pequea Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that runs for from the eastern border of Lancaster County and Berks County, Pennsylvania to the village of Pequea, about above the hydroelectric dam at Holtwood along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County.The name of the creek is Shawnee...

 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 Pequea #8 Bridge.

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
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 38-36-23. Added in 1980, it is listed on 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 80003535. It is located at 39°57′38.4"N 76°14′6"W (39.96067, -76.23500). The bridge is close to U.S. Route 222 southeast of Willow Street
Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Willow Street is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,258 at the 2000 census. In the early part of the 20th century the main thoroughfare in town was lined with Willow trees on both sides for the length of the town. The community received...

 in West Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania
West Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania
West Lampeter Township is a township in central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,145 at the 2000 census.- Geography :...

. From 222 the bridge is 0.35 miles (0.56 km) east on Lime Valley Road, 0.3 miles (0.5 km) south on South View Road, and 250 feet (75 m) on Breneman Road.

History

It was built in 1871 by either Joseph Cramer or Elias McMellen
Elias McMellen
Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen (b. 1839-11-16 - d. 2 March 1916, was a bridge-maker and Captain in the Union Army.McMellen's wife’s name was Annie E. Wenditz (November 13, 1841-April 1, 1899). They were married on 21 Sep 1865 and had the following children: ...

 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....

3,500. The bridge was a twin to another covered bridge built in 1857 by Silas Wolverton that was located 200 ft (61 m) to the west of the Lime Valley Covered Bridge.

Dimensions

  • Length: 93 feet
    Ft
    Ft or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...

     (28.3 m) span
    Span (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 103 feet (31.4 m) total length
  • Width: 13 (4.0 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width
  • Overhead clearance: 12 feet (3.7 m)
  • Underclearance: 3 feet (0.9 m) to 11 feet (3.4 m)
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