The Covered Bridges of Adams County

Pennsylvania has long been synonymous with covered bridges: over 1500 of these now iconic structures once enabled numerous travelers to cross stony streams, tumbling creeks, and wider expanses of water. And though time, weather, and progress have reduced their numbers, even today, with nearly 200 remaining across the pastoral Pennsylvania landscape, this state remains at the top of the list for the number of existing covered bridges. Here, in Adams County – just beyond the battlefields of Gettysburg – two impressive and historic wooden truss bridges still nestle in the local terrain and present charming images of an era mostly long gone.

Sachs Bridge

Sachs Covered Bridge, spanning Marsh Creek where the creek slows to a wider, calmer pool of almost still water, sports the geometric lattice of a Town truss design — Town reflecting the name of the truss developer, Ithiel Town of Connecticut. The sharp angles of the diamond shapes created by the crisscrossing of the beams in the bridge’s 100-foot span emphasize the bridge’s length (which measures out 100 feet) and allows viewers the ability to gaze unobstructed at the picturesque scenery on both sides of the bridge: looking back toward Middletown Road, the tree and brush lined banks of the wide, tranquil pool; looking away from Middletown Road, a second, shallow pool of water that splashes over the spillway and tumbles away across a rocky streambed into a vibrant, untamed wood.

The bridge, believed to have been built around 1854, remained open to vehicular traffic until 1968 when the Pennsylvania Department of Highways designated it Pennsylvania’s most historic bridge and closed it for historic preservation. The impressive superlative was earned because the bridge, known as Sauches Covered Bridge at the time, saw both armies traverse its span in 1863 during the Civil War: The Union as they arrived in Gettysburg before the battle and the Confederates as they fled in retreat. In 1980, the bridge was also added to the National Register of Historic Places, further ensuring its continued preservation.

Today, Sachs Covered Bridge and the surrounding area provide an idyllic and serene place for photographers, fishers, hikers, birders, and nature enthusiasts of all levels of proficiency.

Sachs Covered Bridge, as it sits, is a short drive off Middletown Road and remains an easily accessible point of interest to residents and non-residents alike. With its picturesque setting, its intricate architecture, its prominent place in the recorded history of the battle, its pristine appearance, and the abundance of ways to experience it and its environs, this not-so-hidden gem is and will remain a popular, cherished, and essential site for anyone and everyone in Adams County.

Jack’s Mountain Bridge

Less visited but no less picturesque, Jack’s Mountain Bridge, just outside the inviting and attractive community of Fairfield, stretches out across the stony and slightly turbulent streambed of Tom’s Creek. The bridge remains in use and open to a single lane of passage today; modern traffic lights flank the 75-foot span to direct the crossing vehicles.

Built in 1890 and also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, Jack’s Mountain Bridge stands as an example of a Burr truss bridge with its vertical support beams and double arches that support the weight of the enchanting structure.

Unlike Sachs Covered Bridge, Jack’s Mountain Bridge offers no easy access to view the bridge in its entirety. A small dirt pull-off near the bridge might accommodate two vehicles. Then, guests who wish to take in the bridge from every perspective must descend one of the small embankments beyond the span of the bridge and approach it on one of the trails that follows the rambling path of Tom’s Creek. Wet toes and a temporary loss of balance are not to be unexpected.

From either side of the historic bridge, exposed patches on the horizontal wooden boards and skeletal remnants of climbing vines reveal a more weathered and seemingly neglected existence than the pristine exterior of Sachs.

Unlike Sachs Covered Bridge, Jack’s Mountain Bridge affords the curious the opportunity to explore under the span of the bridge and behold the rust flaked paint on the immense steel beams and the peppering of large, geometric rivets that hold the bridge in place on its cut stone abutments. Standing under the bridge, one can hear the scuffing of rubber tires on the wooden floorboards as modern vehicles cross above and a nostalgic mind imagines the clip-clopping of horse’s hooves pulling wood and iron wagon wheels in days gone by.

And like Sachs Covered Bridge, Jack’s Mountain Bridge, thanks to its place on the Historic Register, will also remain an inviting, attractive, and protected point of interest.

These two covered bridges represent a specific point in time in Adams County and beckon people with their allure, their charm, and their history. And although other covered bridges may still exist in the county, Sachs and Jack’s remain the only historic covered bridges open to the public; other covered bridges are either located on private property or have more recent construction dates. Many of the original historic covered bridges have simply been lost to accident and time.

The historic bridges of Adams County, though few, stand as living records that reflect bygone eras. The early feats of engineering they once represented are now secondary to their appeal as natural sites. Recreational activities abound around them; introspective thoughts and meaningful discussions arise within them; and expressive works of art–in photography and film, on canvas and cardstock, in poetry and prose—are inspired by them. And will continue to be for generations to come.