Program

Historic Transportation

Subject

Transportation

Location

131 S Pool Forge Rd, Narvon, PA 17555, USA

Lat/Long

40.12923, -75.97628

Grant Recipient

The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of PA

In 1858, 62 local citizens petitioned Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to build a bridge over Conestoga Creek in Caernarvon Township. The petition included that the cost of the bridge would be more than reasonable for one or more adjoining townships to bear and therefore urged the county to take on the task. The county agreed that the bridge was a necessity and in 1859, the contract for building the new bridge was awarded to Levi Fink of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Lancaster Examiner, August 3, 1859, 2). An 1859 county commissioners’ statement noted that Fink was paid in total $1,228.50 for building the bridge that year (Lancaster Examiner, February 15, 1860, 4).

The new bridge was a covered burr arch truss design spanning approximately 100 feet. The burr arch truss was an early 19th century wooden bridge design that combined an angled truss frame with a curved arch. The bridge allowed improved travel to and from Poole Forge, an iron forge located along the water. Thus, the bridge would take on the name Poole Forge Covered Bridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and was included as a contributing structure in the Poole Forge historic district placed on the National Register in 1993.

In 1961, Poole Forge Covered Bridge was transferred from the county to a private owner as a result of the state’s plan to build a modern bridge and redirect the roadway. In 2005, the bridge was acquired by Caernarvon Township to be included in a public park managed by the non-profit organization Historic Poole Forge.

As one of the few covered wooden bridges that has survived, Poole Forge Covered Bridge reflects the development of engineering and transportation in the history of America.