Neff's Mill Covered Bridge

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Main other{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox bridge with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank = 1| also_known_as | alt | aqueduct_name | architect | begin | below | bridge_name | builder | built | capacity | caption | carries | child | clearance | clearance_above | clearance_below | closed | collapsed | demolished | complete | contracted_designer | coord_format | coordinates | cost | crosses | dedicated | depth | design | designer | destroyed | diameter | downstream | electrification | embed | embedded | ends | engineering | extra | fabricator | fetchwikidata |first_length | first_diameter | followed | gauge | height | heritage | id | id_type | image | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | inaugurated | lanes | length | life | load | locale | location | mainspan | maint | maintained | mapframe | mapframe-caption | mapframe-custom | mapframe-id | mapframe-coord | mapframe-wikidata | mapframe-point | mapframe-shape | mapframe-frame-width | mapframe-frame-height | mapframe-shape-fill | mapframe-shape-fill-opacity | mapframe-stroke-color | mapframe-stroke-colour | mapframe-stroke-width | mapframe-marker | mapframe-marker-color | mapframe-marker-colour | mapframe-geomask | mapframe-geomask-stroke-color | mapframe-geomask-stroke-colour | mapframe-geomask-stroke-width | mapframe-geomask-fill | mapframe-geomask-fill-opacity | mapframe-zoom | mapframe-length_km | mapframe-length_mi | mapframe-area_km2 | mapframe-area_mi2 | mapframe-frame-coordinates | mapframe-frame-coord | mapframe-switcher | material | material1 | material2 | name | named_for | native_name | native_name_lang | notrack | num_track | number_spans | official_name | onlysourced | open | opened | opening | os_grid_reference | other_name | owner | passable | piers_in_water | pierswater | preceded | qid | rebuilt | references | refs | replaced_by | replaces | second_length | second_diameter | spans | starts | structure_gauge | third_length | third_diameter | toll | towpath | track_gauge | traffic | traversable | upstream | website | width | winner }}Template:Main other The Neff's Mill Covered Bridge or Bowman's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the Pequea Creek on the border between West Lampeter Township and Strasburg Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.<ref name="Bickel">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Pequea #7 Bridge.<ref name="lancaster.pa.us">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks.<ref name="lancaster.pa.us"/> It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color. It is purportedly the narrowest covered bridge in the county.<ref name="padutch">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="mccain">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-22. Added in 1980, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as structure number 80003538.<ref name="register">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is located at Template:Coord (39.97883, -76.22583), on Penn Grant Road 1.25 miles to the east of U.S. Route 222 and to the south of Lampeter, Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Route 741.<ref name="Travis">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

The covered bridge was originally built by Christian Brackbill in 1824 for an unknown cost. It was known as Bowman's Mill Covered Bridge. It was rebuilt in 1875 by James C. Carpenter at a cost of $1,860. Note: This is the narrowest covered bridge in the county.<ref name="Bickel"/><ref name="padutch"/>

On May 28th, 2025 a box truck rammed through the bridge and caused extensive damage. According to local news station WGAL, the bridge was closed indefinitely pending further inspection<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>.

Dimensions

• Length: 90 feet (27.4 m) span and Template:Convert total length^Note:<ref name="dimensions">Note: The dimensions of this bridge are not agreed on by multiple sources. The total length is published as either 102 or 103 feet, the clear deck width as 11 feet and 11 feet 7 inches. It is also unlikely that the bridge is actually 15 feet wide, given the limited clear deck width. The sign posted on the bridge indicates an overhead clearance of 11 feet, but the government source lists it as 11 feet, 6 inches.</ref>
• Width: Template:Convert clear deck and Template:Convert total width^Note:<ref name="dimensions"/>
• Overhead clearance: Template:Convert^Note:<ref name="dimensions"/>
• Under clearance: Template:Convert

Gallery

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Wide 3008px.jpg

  A wide view of the side of the bridge

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Three Quarters View HDR 3264px.jpg

  A three-quarters view of the bridge

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Portal 2000px.jpg

  One of the bridge's portals

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Interior 1952px.jpg

  The inside of the bridge

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Inside 3008px.jpg

  Closeup of the Burr arch truss design

• Neff's Mill Covered Bridge Inside HDR 3008px.jpg

  The window and painted sign inside the bridge

See also

• Burr arch truss
• List of Lancaster County covered bridges