Landis Mill Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
Landis Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge
that spans the Little Conestoga Creek
in Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Little Conestoga #1 Bridge. The bridge, built in 1873 by Elias McMellen
, is today surrounded by a development, shopping center, and highways on the boundary of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. At 53 feet (16.2 m), it is the shortest covered bridge in the county.
The bridge has a single span, wooden, double pyramidal-shaped Burr-type trusses and multiple king post
truss design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is the only bridge in the county to use this design. 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 portals to the bridge are painted in red with white trim.
The bridge's WGCB
Number is 38-36-16. In 1980 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as structure number 80003526. It is located at 40°4′4.8"N 76°20′41.4"W (40.06800, -76.34483). It can be found northwest of Lancaster
on Shreiner Road one block West of the Park City Center
shopping mall.
at a cost of $
969. McMellen, who built many of Lancaster's covered bridges using the Burr arch truss, chose to build this short bridge using a simpler design with multiple kingpost trusses and, instead of Burr arches, pyramidal-shaped trusses to add additional support. The bridge has remained despite the development of the surrounding countryside.
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 the Little Conestoga Creek
Little Conestoga Creek
The Little Conestoga Creek is a tributary of the Conestoga River in Pennsylvania. The Landis Mill Covered Bridge crosses the creek.The name of the creek comes from the Susquehannock Kanestoge, meaning "at the place of the immersed pole". This was the name of the principal Susquehannock...
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 Little Conestoga #1 Bridge. The bridge, built in 1873 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: ...
, is today surrounded by a development, shopping center, and highways on the boundary of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. At 53 feet (16.2 m), it is the shortest covered bridge in the county.
The bridge has a single span, wooden, double pyramidal-shaped Burr-type trusses and multiple king post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
truss design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is the only bridge in the county to use this design. 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 portals to the bridge are painted in red with white trim.
The bridge's WGCB
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 38-36-16. 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 80003526. It is located at 40°4′4.8"N 76°20′41.4"W (40.06800, -76.34483). It can be found northwest of Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
on Shreiner Road one block West of the Park City Center
Park City Center
Park City Center is a large shopping mall located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is the largest enclosed shopping center in South Central Pennsylvania. It is situated at the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and Harrisburg Pike. The shape of the mall resembles a snowflake, with its stores occupying...
shopping mall.
History
Landis Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1873 by Elias McMellenElias 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 $
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....
969. McMellen, who built many of Lancaster's covered bridges using the Burr arch truss, chose to build this short bridge using a simpler design with multiple kingpost trusses and, instead of Burr arches, pyramidal-shaped trusses to add additional support. The bridge has remained despite the development of the surrounding countryside.
Dimensions
- Length: 41 feetFtFt or ft. may mean:* Foot , a unit of distance or length* Hungarian forint, the currency of Hungary* Fair Trade, the principle to give a fair price when trading* Fort, a fortified place, especially in place names...
(12.5 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 53 feet (16.2 m) total length - Width: 13 feet (4.0 m) clear deck and 15 feet (4.6 m) total width
- Overhead clearance: 12 feet (3.7 m)
- Underclearance: 8 feet (2.4 m)