National Register of Historic Places

Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge

Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Listed
December 11, 1980
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80003516

About this property

The Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the Conestoga River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the oldest bridge in the county still in use. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Big Conestoga #2 Bridge. The bridge is also called Martin's Mill Bridge, Eberly's Cider Mill Covered Bridge, and Fiand's/Fiantz's Covered Bridge. 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. Added later, secondary steel I-beams support the bridge from underneath. The bridge is painted red on the outside, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges. The inside of the bridge is not painted. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color. As of July 2006, the bridge has some damage to its sides including some missing or broken panels. The bridge, which has a 10 foot 6 inch height restriction, was damaged again on November 20, 2023, this time by a 13 feet 4 inches tall semi-trailer which got stuck in the bridge and allegedly caused further damage by attempting to back out after being stuck. The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-04. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as structure number 80003516. It is located at 40°8′25.8″N 76°9′7.2″W (40.1405, -76.1520) near the junction of U.S. Route 222 and U.S. Route 322 southeast of Ephrata in West Earl Township. The bridge can be reached by going approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south from U.S. Route 322 on Cabin Drive which becomes Conestoga Creek Road. A left onto Cider Mill Road leads straight to the bridge, which is visible from the intersection.

Location

Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
40.14035, -76.15195

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mountain Springs Hotel
Industrial
2.6 mi
Bridge in West Earl Township
Industrial
2.7 mi
Ephrata Commercial Historic District
Listed
2.9 mi
Eby Shoe Corporation
Industrial
3 mi
Mentzer Building
Industrial
3.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge listed on the National Register?

Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge?

Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge?

The period of significance for Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

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