History Hillsgrove Covered Bridge

1 history

1.1 background
1.2 construction , description
1.3 use , restoration

history
background

the first covered bridge in united states built in 1800 on schuylkill river in philadelphia, pennsylvania. according susan m. zacher, author of covered bridges of pennsylvania: guide, first covered bridges of burr arch truss design built in state. pennsylvania estimated have once had @ least 1,500 covered bridges , believed have had in country between 1830 , 1875. in 2001, pennsylvania had more surviving historic covered bridges other state; 221 remained in 40 of 67 counties.

covered bridges transition between stone , metal bridges, latter made of cast-iron or steel. in 19th-century pennsylvania, lumber abundant resource bridge construction, did not last long when exposed elements. roof , enclosed sides of covered bridges protected structural elements, allowing of these bridges survive on century. burr arch truss consists of load-bearing arch sandwiching multiple king posts, resulting in stronger , more rigid structure 1 made of either element alone. although there 30 covered bridges in sullivan county in 1890, 5 left 1954, , of 2015 3 remain: forksville, hillsgrove, , sonestown.

construction , description

all 3 sullivan county covered bridges built c. 1850 burr arch trusses. hillsgrove bridge built sullivan county sadler rogers (or rodgers), native of forksville 18 years old @ time. built forksville bridge same year. forksville , hillsgrove bridges both cross loyalsock creek, latter 5 miles (8 km) further downstream. although sources not list builder of sonestown bridge, 2 newspaper articles on remaining sullivan county covered bridges reported rodgers had designed or possibly built well.

bridge interior view (in 2015) showing burr arches , king posts, wooden beams bolted floor on each side wheel guards.

on july 2, 1973, hillsgrove bridge first covered bridge in sullivan county added nrhp, , on july 24, 1980 again included on nrhp in multiple property submission of 7 covered bridges of bradford, sullivan , lycoming counties. hillsgrove bridge on 2013 national bridge inventory (nbi), lists covered bridge 186 feet (56.7 m) long, maximum load of 5.0 short tons (4.5 t). however, maximum load posted on approaches bridge 3.0 short tons (2.7 t). 2006 nbi listed bridge s roadway 12 feet 2 inches (3.7 m) wide, while according nrhp, bridge s road surface width 18 feet (5.5 m), sufficient single lane of traffic.

as of 2015, each portal has sign posted clearance height of 8 feet (2.4 m). sign posted on east portal above clearance preserves following 19th-century limits on use: notice: persons forbidden ride drive or lead animal on bridge faster walk or drive more 15 head of cattle horses or mules thereon @ 1 time or carry fire thereon except in safe vessel under penalty of not less $.30 each offence. prior 2010 restoration, west portal had no trucks allowed sign hanging below clearance sign.

underside of bridge looking east, in 2012

the covered bridge rests on abutments of stone , mortar, have been reinforced concrete. there no parapets. bridge beams reinforced in places steel beams. bridge deck made of crosswise narrow width laid flooring . wheel guards on deck separate roadway pedestrian walkways on either side , protect sides, covered vertical board , batten siding eaves. interior , exterior painted red. bridge has long, narrow windows wooden shutters: south side has 3 windows, , north side has two. opening between eaves , siding runs length of bridge on both sides. gable roof wooden shake shingles. bridge supported burr arch truss, , similar in design , construction 1 in forksville. western end of hillsgrove bridge lies against steep hillside, , approaching bridge west must make sharp right turn enter it. prior 2010 restoration, sides unpainted, portals painted red, while gable roof sheet metal had been installed on original wooden shake shingles.

attitudes towards covered bridges in sullivan county changed considerably in last half of 20th century. 2 of 5 bridges remained in 1954 razed 1970, when pennsylvania department of transportation considered tearing down forksville bridge (but renovated because of historic nature , appeal tourists). hillsgrove covered bridge added nrhp in 1973 , 2 other bridges added in 1980. pennsylvania historical , museum commission forbids destruction of covered bridge on nrhp in state , has approve renovation work.

use , restoration

loyalsock creek easternmost window on south side, king post in front of window (in 2008)

in 19th century hillsgrove covered bridge survived major floods on march 1, 1865, , june 1, 1889, destroyed other bridges in west branch susquehanna river valley. between 1870 , 1890, logging in loyalsock creek watershed produced lumber rafts floated beneath bridge. bridge site of uncle ben s landing lumber rafts, did not travel @ night. these rafts, each containing 5,000–30,000 board feet (11.8–70.8 m³) of lumber, carried down loyalsock mouth @ montoursville. raft era ended when eastern hemlock clearcut.

an april, 1963 article on covered bridges in sullivan , lycoming counties noted hillsgrove bridge s deck bit swaybacked , , according nbi data, bridge reconstructed in 1963. t. corbin lewis, retired electrical contractor hillsgrove township, restored bridge in 1968. concrete reinforcement on southwest abutment of hillsgrove bridge dated 1968, other work done in restoration not documented. lewis restored forksville covered bridge in 1970, nrhp nomination form describes kinds of odd repairs . lewis restoration work @ forksville involved cutting windows sides of bridge first time, 4 windows on south side , 3 on north. while hillsgrove bridge have more windows on south side (three) north (two), not known when added. 1936 photograph of bridge shows no windows on south side, , no concrete reinforcement of eastern abutment.

flood damage in 2011 included broken beams , siding, 2 trees lodged in bridge, , buckled floor

covered bridge road north of loyalsock creek accessed hillsgrove covered bridge @ eastern end, , bridge on elk creek @ western end. sullivan county replaced bridge on elk creek between march 21 , july 21, 1989. without elk creek bridge, access 5 families, business, , little league baseball camp 110 children limited covered bridge. county officials noted despite covered bridge s posted weight limit of 2.0 short tons (1.8 t), still support 5.0 short tons (4.5 t), sufficient small fire trucks , ambulances. in emergency, larger emergency vehicles ford creek if needed. in case, limited access did not cause problems four-month period while elk creek bridge replaced.

the evans book describes repairs bridge s northeast siding, done between 1991 , 2000. in 2001, department of transportation federal highway administration awarded $360,000 80 percent of restoration costs of hillsgrove bridge under historic covered bridge preservation program. 1 of 2 bridges in pennsylvania , 43 nationwide selected program year. in 2010, bridge rehabilitated first time since 1960s. sullivan county solicited bids in february, expecting project cost between $200,000 , $500,000. metal roof replaced cedar shake shingles, repairs made wooden structure, portals, , siding, bridge , deck cleaned, , bridge painted red. rehabilitation cost $150,516, , bridge reopened in autumn of 2010.

scaffolding supporting bridge during post-flood restoration in 2012

in 2011, bridge badly damaged historic flooding hurricane irene in late august , tropical storm lee in september. loyalsock creek s flood waters swept debris bridge, removing of siding on south side, washing out approaches, damaging structural beams, , leaving 2 trees lodged between timber low chord , timber deck on north side. while forksville covered bridge escaped serious damage, hillsgrove , sonestown both closed, , preservation pennsylvania issued report questioned whether either bridge restored.

sullivan county applied , received federal emergency management agency funding repairs both bridges. hillsgrove bridge restored first, main route restaurant , heavily used hunters. repairs included replacement of broken structural beams, sections of deck, , siding. because loyalsock creek exceptional value stream , scaffolding supported structure on creek bed during $250,000-restoration had approved pennsylvania department of environmental protection. bridge reopened on november 21, 2012, in time deer hunting season, 1 of sullivan county commissioners; county commissioner had been married on bridge 25 years before.

despite 2010 restoration, 2012 federal highway administration national bridge inventory found bridge structurally deficient . in addition, sufficiency rating of bridge structure 16.5 percent, , bridge railings , approach guardrails did not meet acceptable standards .

as of 2015, bridge still used; average daily traffic 54 vehicles in 2012. bridge s 2012 post-flood restoration received award emergency response. 2014 book, america s covered bridges - practical crossings - nostalgic icons, included 2 photos of hillsgrove covered bridge (and nearby forksville covered bridge on book s cover). according zacher, sullivan county bridges, because of settings, of attractive in state .