Skip to main content

Wertz's Red Covered Bridge - Reading, Pennsylvania

  


Pennsylvania's longest single span is the Wertz's Red Covered Bridge, spanning over the Tulpehocken Creek and the former Union Canal (which was built in the 19th Century to connect the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Rivers). Located in Reading, it is also known as Wertz's Covered Bridge or just Red Covered Bridge, acknowledging the red color the covered bridge is painted in. The 218 foot long Burr arch truss designed covered bridge bridge was built in 1867 by Amandas Knerr at the cost of $7,450. While 37 covered bridges once crossed over various bodies of water throughout Berks County, Pennsylvania, the Wertz's Red Covered Bridge is one of five historic covered bridges that are still found dotting the county.

The covered bridge was named after Wertz’s Mill, which was a prominent mill located just downstream on the west bank of the Tulpehocken Creek. Around the year 1916, the  Wertz’s Mill was destroyed by fire and today little remains of the mill. At the time of its construction, the Wertz’s Red Covered Bridge was the second longest single span covered bridge built in Berks County, with only the 240 foot long Stoudt’s Ferry Bridge (1856-1948) over the Schuylkill River being longer. Today, Wertz’s Red Covered Bridge has the distinction of being the longest remaining single span historic covered bridge that is located in Pennsylvania.

In 1936, by an act of state legislation, ownership and maintenance of all bridges on state highways in Pennsylvania were taken over by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways. Several years after this change, the covered bridge was painted white. However, very little repairs were done to the bridge, and the bridge became neglected and there was a period of time when both the State of Pennsylvania and Berks County refuted ownership of the covered bridge. Berks County regained possession of Wertz's Red Covered Bridge on May 27, 1954, only after the State of Pennsylvania said that if officially gave up ownership of the bridge on October 1, 1953.

After Berks County regained ownership of the covered bridge in 1954, $1438.79 was spent on needed repairs. Four steel cables were connected to the west end of the bridge for support, several wooden bracing beams were replaced, and some floor planks were replaced. However, it wasn't too long after that when the covered bridge was closed to motor vehicular traffic, due to improvements to the local road system around Reading, along with additional work that was needed for the covered bridge. The bridge was closed for good on October 23, 1959 when the Warren Street Bypass was reopened. The main reason given for the closing of the bridge was additional structural failure in an arch at the upper stream northern corner of the bridge. Barricades were erected and signs posted to direct traffic to use other crossings. 

The Wertz's Red Covered Bridge almost met its demise in 1960. In April that year, the Berks County Commissioners considered dismantling the bridge and selling the 150 tons of wood. The erection of a newer and more modern bridge in the nearby vicinity was discussed. In July of that same year, Harry Lomis of Eden, New York was offered to buy a contract to buy the bridge from Berks County. While Lomis was in the market to buy a covered bridge, he decided against buying the Wertz's Red Covered Bridge. After that point, Berks County opted to make more repairs to the bridge. The bridge was reinforced and painted red again in 1962 at a cost of $648.58. In 1984 the covered bridge was restored. The bridge's siding was replaced and several floor boards were replaced. The bridge was jacked up and  realigned, which was necessary from lingering effects that took place from a crash that took place while the bridge still carried cars across the creek. That crash cracked some of the beams and knocked the bridge off center. Additionally, the bridge's camber was restored and the rotted arch ends were replaced along with cedar roof shingles.

Today, the Wertz's Red Covered Bridge is open to pedestrians and is located at the Berks County Heritage Center, which is a park that honors the rich cultural history of Berks County. The Gruber Wagon Works, C. Howard Hiester Canal Center, Melcher's Grist Mill, a Distlefink statue and more are found within the grounds of the Berks County Heritage Center. The Union Canal Towpath Trail is also found crossing under the covered bridge. You may also spot a small suspended cable car next to the bridge, which was installed by the United States Geologic Survey to test the depth, temperature and speed of the Tulpehocken Creek before the Blue Marsh Lake and dam were built upstream. All of this allows the covered bridge to be in a peaceful, idyllic setting.








How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
County of Berks Pennsylvania - Wertz's Covered Bridge
Go Reading Berks - Wertz's Red Covered Bridge
Bridgehunter.com - Wertz Covered Bridge 38-06-06
Berks Nostalgia - Wertz's Red Covered Bridge


Update Log:
February 8, 2022 - Crossposted to Quintessential Pennsylvania - https://quintessentialpa.blogspot.com/2022/02/wertzs-red-covered-bridge.html

Comments

Unknown said…
Great article! Thanks.

Popular posts from this blog

I-40 rockslide uncovers old debates on highway

The Asheville Citizen-Times continues to do a great job covering all the angles of the Interstate 40 Haywood County rock slide. An article in Sunday's edition provides a strong historical perspective on how the Pigeon River routing of Interstate 40 came about. And perhaps most strikingly, in an article that ran just prior to the highway's opening in the fall of 1968, how engineers from both Tennessee and North Carolina warned "...that slides would probably be a major problem along the route for many years." On February 12, 1969, not long after the Interstate opened, the first rock slide that would close I-40 occurred. Like many other Interstates within North Carolina, Interstate 40 through the mountains has a history prior to formation of the Interstate Highway System and was also a heated political battle between local communities. The discussion for a road that would eventually become Interstate 40 dates back to the 1940's as the idea for interregional high

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles.  The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County.  Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57.  California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10.  Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10.  The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of

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 from Bates Station owner/operator George Ba