Cuppett's Covered Bridge

About

Cuppett's Covered Bridge crosses Dunning Creek about a mile north of New Paris in Napier Township, Bedford County. It is a Burr arch truss bridge about 70 feet long, built in 1882. It is privately owned and no longer open to vehicles.

History

Brothers William and Philip Cuppett built the bridge, which was completed on September 14, 1882, and it has been privately owned by the Cuppett family since. coveredbridges.net notes that an aerial photo from April 24, 1939, already shows it bypassed by a crossing about 180 feet upstream, and that machinery was once stored inside. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1980, as part of the Bedford County Covered Bridges thematic resource. Photos on coveredbridges.net from June 2025 show it in poor condition and in need of repair.

Design

The bridge uses a Burr arch truss with unusually low arches and low side walls. It is unpainted and has been left to weather naturally. Sources differ on the length: Wikipedia gives 70 feet, coveredbridges.net gives 71 feet with a width of 12 feet, and Uncovering PA gives 60 feet.

Visiting

The bridge sits just off Route 96 north of New Paris. Uncovering PA notes there is nowhere to park along Route 96 and suggests Manges Road for a closer look. It is on private property.

Sources: Cuppett's Covered Bridge, Wikipedia, Cuppett's Covered Bridge, coveredbridges.net, Covered Bridges of Bedford County, Uncovering PA