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Washington
County, Pennsylvania
(WGN
38-63-20) (WGCB PA-63-20) (Date built unknown; restored
1998) A single-span Queenpost truss 43' 5" over the South Branch
of Pigeon Creek. Located: On Letherman Bridge Road (TR 449),
1.4 miles northeast of Odell, North Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania.
Directions: In Odell, Pennsylvania, at the jct. of US 40 and Dague
Hollow Road (TR 447), go north on Dague Hollow Road (TR 447) for 1.15 miles
to Letherman Bridge Road (TR 449). Turn right on Letherman Bridge
Road (TR 449) and go 0.25 mile to the bridge. Note that the road
name is not spelled the same as the bridge name. The bridge is constructed
with vertical plank siding on both the sides and portals, is painted barn
red inside and out. It has a tin covered gable roof, and a deck of crosswise
planking. There are two windows on each side in addition to the narrow
eave openings. The deck is supported by a framework of heavy timbers
resting in the center of the streambed, and the entire structure rests
on a concrete abutment at one end and a combination of stone, mortar, and
concrete at the other end. It has a moderate length stone and mortar
wingwall capped with concrete. Although the year of construction
is unknown, it can be inferred that, because all of the timbers of the
bridge are sawed, the bridge was built after 1860. It is also unclear
who the bridge was named after. Local lore indicated that it was
named after Joseph Leatherman, one of the area's earliest doctors who lived
in the vicinity for a brief period of time. Some restoration work
was done in 1998. It was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places on June 22, 1979. (Oct 2005) |
