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Columbia
County, Pennsylvania
(WGN
38-19-46) (WGCB PA-19-46): (c.
1890s; relocated late 1955) (Private) A single-span Queenpost truss
46' 2.5" on dry land. Located: On the property of Mr. and Mrs.
Elwood Erney, approximately 6 miles north of Benton, Sugarloaf Township,
Pennsylvania. Directions: Just north of Benton, Pennsylvania
where SR 239 goes northwest from SR 487, go north on SR 487 for 5.3 miles
to Laubach Road. Turn left on Laubach Road and go 0.4 mile to a private
driveway on the left; turn left onto private driveway and go 0.1 mile to
the house. Note: There are two houses on the road to
the bridge. The first house on the left, go past it down the dirt
road on the right and up the hill to the house, approximately .2 mile,
the bridge will be on the right of the second house. However, request
permission to visit the bridge at the first house on the left at the end
of the lane. For approximately sixty years the bridge spanned Raven
Creek, just east of Stillwater, Pennsylvania on Paperdale Road, and carried
traffic to the settlement of Paperdale, Pennsylvania and the paper mill
just east of the bridge. In the late 1955 the bridge was replaced
by a “modern” steel and concrete structure. It was sold to a local
contractor by the name of Laubach who had it dismantled and rebuilt on
his forested tract of land about eight miles north of its original location.
It was used as a picnic pavilion adjacent to a Recreation Home. Around
1970, Elwood Erney and his wife purchased the tract of land formerly owned
by the Laubachs. Mr. Elwood elevated the bridge and supported the
bottom chord on cement block piers. He continues to use it to store
lumber harvested from his forested acreage. Due to no siding, the
truss structure can readily be identified. There is no deck, abutments,
wing walls or parapets. The portals are covered with unpainted random
width boards and it has a sheet metal roof. Also known as the McHenry's
Mill Covered Bridge. (Sep 2006) |
