Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge or Sporting Hill Bridge is a covered bridge
that spans Chiques Creek
in Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Big Chiques #1 Bridge. (Chiques Creek was known as Chickies Creek until 2002)
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. 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.
The bridge's WGCB
Number is 38-36-32. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as structure number 80003529. It is located at 40°8′53.4"N 76°24′35.4"W (40.14817, -76.40983). The bridge is located southwest of Manheim
between Rapho
and Penn Township
s 0.15 miles (0.24 km) southeast of Pennsylvania Route 772 and 1.4 miles (2.25 km) west of Pennsylvania Route 72 on Sun Hill Road.
1,185 by James C. Carpenter
. The bridge was named after the Kauffman's Distillery Mill which operated in the late 1800s. In 1874 the bridge was rebuilt by Elias McMellen
at a cost of $1,620.
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
that spans Chiques Creek
Chiques Creek
Chiques Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon and Lancaster counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.The source is at an elevation of near Mount Gretna Heights in Lebanon County...
in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Big Chiques #1 Bridge. (Chiques Creek was known as Chickies Creek until 2002)
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. 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.
World Guide to Covered Bridges
The World Guide to Covered Bridges is a covered bridge numbering system. The system was invented by John Diehl, the chairman of the Ohio Covered Bridge Committee. The committee first used the numbering system in 1953 to publish a list of covered bridges in Ohio....
Number is 38-36-32. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as structure number 80003529. It is located at 40°8′53.4"N 76°24′35.4"W (40.14817, -76.40983). The bridge is located southwest of Manheim
Manheim, Pennsylvania
Manheim is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,784 at the 2000 census.-General information:*ZIP code: 17545*Area code: 717*Education: Manheim Central School District and Manheim Central High School-History:...
between Rapho
Rapho Township, Pennsylvania
Rapho Township is a township in northwestern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,578 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
and Penn Township
Penn Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Penn Township is a township in north central Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,312 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.6 mi²...
s 0.15 miles (0.24 km) southeast of Pennsylvania Route 772 and 1.4 miles (2.25 km) west of Pennsylvania Route 72 on Sun Hill Road.
History
Kauffman's Distillery Covered Bridge was originally built in 1857 at a cost of $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,185 by James C. Carpenter
James C. Carpenter
James C. Carpenter was a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania covered bridge builder. He is known to have built nine covered bridges, five of which still exist. Two of his bridges, Herr's Mill Covered Bridge and Colemanville Covered Bridge, are among the longest covered bridges remaining in the county...
. The bridge was named after the Kauffman's Distillery Mill which operated in the late 1800s. In 1874 the bridge was rebuilt by Elias McMellen
Elias McMellen
Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen Captain Elias McMellen (b. 1839-11-16 - d. 2 March 1916, was a bridge-maker and Captain in the Union Army.McMellen's wife’s name was Annie E. Wenditz (November 13, 1841-April 1, 1899). They were married on 21 Sep 1865 and had the following children: ...
at a cost of $1,620.
Dimensions
- Length: 84 feet (25.6 m) spanSpan (architecture)Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
and 96 feet (29.3 m) total length - Width: 13 feet 1 inch (4.0 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width
- Overhead clearance: 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m)
- Underclearance: 7 feet (2.1 m)