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Berks
County, Pennsylvania
(WGN
38-06-01) (WGCB PA-06-01): (1856; damaged and closed 1993;
restored c. 2005) Single-span Burr arch truss 139' over Little
Manatawny Creek. Located: On Covered Bridge Road (SR 1030),
Manatawny, Oley Township. Pennsylvania. Directions: From the
Greisemer’s
Mill Covered Bridge, (WGN 38-06-03) travel
through the bridge for 0.3 miles to the jct. with Church Road (TR 612).
Turn right on Church Road (TR 612) and go 0.2 mile to a “T” with Covered
Bridge Road (SR 1030) (name not posted). Turn right on Covered Bridge
Road (SR 1030) and go 0.3 mile to the jct. with Kaufman Road. Continue
straight on Covered Bridge Road (SR 1030) for 0.8 mile to the bridge.
It is also accessible from SR 73, just southeast of Pleasantville.
At the jct. of SR 73 and Covered Bridge Road (SR 1030) go south on Covered
Bridge Road (SR 1030) for 0.4 mile to the bridge. The bridge was
constructed in 1852, however, it was rebuilt and covered in 1856.
It is believed that, during the 1856 rebuild, the floor was raised four
feet to protect it from future floods. The original floor beams are
still visible from below the bridge. It was closed in the Fall 1993
when the northwest wing wall parapet and part of the abutments were washed
away during a storm. Repairs and restoration work was completed circa
2005. The bridge has one pair of very high Burr arches, and what
appears to be another pair of low double Burr aches approximately three
feet above the roadbed. These arches sandwich a number of vertical
timbers resting on a long horizontal timber, and pairs of short diagonal
supports braces on every other vertical.
The structure
rests on stone and mortar abutments and has long stone and mortar
wing walls which are capped with concrete. Its sides are covered with barn
red painted horizontal boarding on the upper half and vertical boarding
on the lower half. The lower siding features an attractive arch pattern.
The portals are covered with white painted horizontal clapboards and it
is open under the eves for ventilation. The deck consists of wide
lengthwise planking and it has a green roof. Also known as the Oley
Turnpike Covered Bridge and the Manatawny Covered Bridge.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23,
1981. (Jun 2008) |
