Covered Bridges Have Been An Integral Part InAmericas History And Growth. There Are Almost 200 Ofthem Still Being Used And Maintained For Theirhistorical Value. Since It First Appeared In The Early19th Century, These Bridges Have Helped Define Thetowns That Built Them By Connecting Village Folks Toservices And Infrastructures And Directly Connectingcommunities Together.Built For Practical And Functional Reasons, Coveredbridges Have Become Important Pieces Of History Andare Registered As Such In The National Register OfHistoric Places. These Days, Modern Bridges Have Beenbuilt Using Concrete And Steel But Old Covered Bridgesstill Are Considered To Be More Artistic And Charming.The Following Are The Most Popular Among Old Coveredbridges That Has Maintained Its Rustic And Historiccharm.1. The Bridge Of SighsBuilt By Henry Hutchinson, This Famous Bridge Belongsto Cambridge University And Can Be Found In St John'sCollege. It Was Built In 1831 And Connects Thecolleges Third Court With The New Court And Crossesover The River Cam. This Gained Popularity Because Ofthe Pranks Played By Some Students By Dangling A Carunder The Bridge. It Was Also Named After The Bridgeof Sighs In Venice, Italy But The Two Bridges Havevery Little In Common When It Comes To Theirarchitecture.2. Bitzer's Mill Covered BridgeOne Of The Oldest Bridge Still In Use And Enjoyed Bythe Townspeople. It Is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.This Bridge Is Owned By The County And Is Maintainedusing Public Money Because Of Its Historic Value. Itwas Built By George Fink And Sam Reamsnyder In 1846and It Only Cost 1,115 Dollars To Put Up The Bridge.It Has Been Called Many Names Like Martin's MillBridge, Eberly's Cider Mill Covered Bridge, AndFiand'sFiantz's Covered Bridge But Its Officialdesignation Is Big Conestoga Number 2 Bridge.3. Bucher's Mill Covered BridgeConsidered As The Second Shortest Covered Bridge InAmerica At 54 Feet From One Side To The Other, Thishistoric Piece Is Very Popular Among Tourists. Justlike Most Covered Bridge In The Registry Of Historicplaces, It Is Owned And Maintained Using Public Funds.It Was Built In 1891 By Elias McMellen Using Only Asingle Span Of Wooden Truss. The Building Of Thebridge Only Cost Him 1,167. But When It Was Destroyeddue To Heavy Flooding A Year After It Was Built,McMellen Rebuilt It For 1,025 -142 Cheaper Than Theoriginal Cost.4. Hunsecker's Mill Covered BridgeLocated In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, UnitedStates. It Is The Longest Single Span Covered Bridgein The County At 180 Feet Long. It Spans The ConestogaRiver And Has Been Destroyed And Rebuilt For Number Oftimes. The Most Recent Being In 1972 When It Wasdestroyed By Hurricane Agnes. It Was Built In 1843 ByJohn Russell And It Cost Him Around 1,988. When Itwas Last Rebuilt, The Cost Came To About 321,302.Though One Of The Most Popular Bridges In America, Itis Sadly Not Registered As A Historic Place Becauseaside From The Design, None Of Its Original Materialswere Used On Its Reconstruction.5. Schenk's Mill Covered BridgeFound In Pennsylvania, This Covered Bridge Crosses TheBig Chiques Creek In Lancaster County. Built On Asingle Span Burr Arch Truss, This Historic Landmark Ispainted Red And Is Mainly Made Of Oak. Red Is Thetraditional Color Of Lancaster County And Most Bridgesfollow A Red Motif. It Was Added To The NationalRegister Of Historic Places In 1980. It Was Built Byfriends Charles Malhorn And Levi Fink In 1855, And Hassince Been And Important Landmark In The County,remembered By Tourists For Its Unforgettable Color Andspan.
