Skip to main content

Baumgardner Mill Covered Bridge - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

  



Also known as Pequea Bridge #10, the Baumgardner Mill Covered Bridge spans over Lancaster County, Pennsylvania's Pequea Creek on Covered Bridge Road near the town of Marticville. Built in 1860, the 105 foot long covered Burr truss arch designed covered bridge was constructed by Davis Kitch at a cost of $1,284. In 1987, the bridge was restored after it was damaged in a flood from the previous year. During the restoration, which cost $200,000, the covered bridge was raised four feet and lengthened by nine feet to protect it from damage in future floods. As with many covered bridges in Lancaster County, the covered bridge is painted red, but has some white trim.

As one might expect, the Baumgardner Mill Covered Bridge is located near a historic mill. The history of the mill is one that is longer than the United States itself. There was a mill that was first built at the location in 1775, then a larger mill was built in its place in 1806. Ownership of the mill changed hands countless times, and the namesake of the covered bridge, Thomas Baumgardner, owned the mill and the surrounding property around 1870. Before the age of automobiles, it was customary for a local farmer to plow (or snow a covered bridge) after each winter storm so sleighs could slide through. For this service, he earned $10 a year. Because of the bridge's location on the border between Pequea and Martic Townships, it is said that it was an easier task to snow the covered bridge because the roads were plowed up to the edge of the bridge. I visited the covered bridge during the summer when there was no need to snow the bridge.



Inside the covered bridge.

Baumgardner Mill.


How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
GalenFrysinger.com - Baumgardner's Mill Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter.com - Baumgardner Mill Covered Bridge 38-36-25
Uncharted Lancaster - Baumgardner’s Mill: Grinding out property disputes, sabotage, and foul play


Update Log:
November 30, 2021 - Crossposted to Quintessential Pennsylvania (https://quintessentialpa.blogspot.com/2021/11/baumgardner-mill-covered-bridge.html)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former California State Route 41 past Bates Station

When California State Route 41 was commissioned during August 1934 it was aligned along the then existing Fresno-Yosemite Road north of the San Joaquin River.  Within the Sierra Nevada foothills of Madera County, the original highway alignment ran past Bates Station via what is now Madera County Road 209, part of eastern Road 406 and Road 207.   Bates Station was a stage station plotted during the early 1880s at what was the intersection of the Coarsegold Road and Stockton-Los Angeles Road.   The modern alignment bypassing Bates Station to the east would be reopened to traffic during late 1939.   Part 1; the history of California State Route 41 past Bates Station Bates Station was featured as one of the many 1875-1899 Madera County era towns in the May 21, 1968, Madera Tribune .  Post Office Service at Bates Station is noted to have been established on November 23, 1883 and ran continuously until October 31, 1903.  The postal name was sourced...