The Kreidersville Covered Bridge was our last stop and it was probably the most quaint of all the bridges. There were houses nearby which gave it the feeling of being at the center of a little village. Turns out one of our friends from church actually grew up in one of those houses and she remembers playing by the bridge throughout the early years of her childhood.
The Kreidersville Bridge crosses over Hokendauqua Creek and it's the oldest covered bridge in Lehigh Valley as well as one of the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania. Unlike many other bridges built in this style, it has no windows to light the interior. It was slated for demolition in 1959 but local citizens came together and saved it. It was then restored by the PA Highway department and turned over to Northampton County and Allen Township (where it is located) for its continued care. Every two years the Kreidersville Covered Bridge Association holds a Covered Bridge Festival in the park which surrounds the bridge. When we arrived there were two photographers holding photo shoots there. It was a bit tricky to capture the bridge without them in the picture!
I have been looking at all your shots of these lovely covered bridges. I find them quite fascinating for some reason and wondered why they are covered and not just a bridge.
Thank you everyone! I've had a busy day and I'm tired out! I'll be back to catch up with you tomorrow.
@jennywren Someone asked the same question the other day, so here's the answer I gave them:
Here's a little extra info from the tour book to answer your question: Why were the bridges covered? To quote an old Pennsylvanian carpenter, "To keep them dry- not travelers, not the horses or the wagonloads of hay, nor the sweethearts halted in the shadows, but the plank roadways." Builders in Maryland and Virginia expressed their reasoning differently, "Our bridges are covered for the same reason that our belles wear hoop skirts and crinolines- to protect the structural beauty that is seldom seen, but nevertheless appreciated." Some say bridges were covered to resemble barns and make the horses less afraid to enter them.
The most common thought is that the coverings kept the planks from becoming snow and ice laden in the winter, and therefore they didn't need shoveling. Seems to me that's the best answer as I think our early-American counterparts preferred to work on their own land rather than to having to take care of a roadway. Apparently the design came here from Germany and it was common to name them after the builder or the owner of the property that they were on.
Thanks again to all for the views, comments and favs!
Thanks for the extra info Ann - really helps put them into a context. I particularly liked the comment about protecting the structural beauty which is seldom seen!! This bridge seems to suit his environment really well - how good that it was saved. Cheers
@littleconnie Thank you Connie! @helenhall Thank you Helen! They are definitely part of the history of the Northeast region where the weather can be rainy or cold throughout the winter and spring. I don't recall hearing that they are in the southwest or west coast, but there may be some in the south as well. There could be some up in the northwest, but I'm not sure. At any rate there are quite a few in Pennsylvania and probably just as many in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
November 2nd, 2017
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Thank you everyone! I've had a busy day and I'm tired out! I'll be back to catch up with you tomorrow.
@jennywren Someone asked the same question the other day, so here's the answer I gave them:
Here's a little extra info from the tour book to answer your question: Why were the bridges covered? To quote an old Pennsylvanian carpenter, "To keep them dry- not travelers, not the horses or the wagonloads of hay, nor the sweethearts halted in the shadows, but the plank roadways." Builders in Maryland and Virginia expressed their reasoning differently, "Our bridges are covered for the same reason that our belles wear hoop skirts and crinolines- to protect the structural beauty that is seldom seen, but nevertheless appreciated." Some say bridges were covered to resemble barns and make the horses less afraid to enter them.
The most common thought is that the coverings kept the planks from becoming snow and ice laden in the winter, and therefore they didn't need shoveling. Seems to me that's the best answer as I think our early-American counterparts preferred to work on their own land rather than to having to take care of a roadway. Apparently the design came here from Germany and it was common to name them after the builder or the owner of the property that they were on.
Thanks again to all for the views, comments and favs!
@helenhall Thank you Helen! They are definitely part of the history of the Northeast region where the weather can be rainy or cold throughout the winter and spring. I don't recall hearing that they are in the southwest or west coast, but there may be some in the south as well. There could be some up in the northwest, but I'm not sure. At any rate there are quite a few in Pennsylvania and probably just as many in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.