About
Forry's Mill Covered Bridge carries Bridge Valley Road over Chiques Creek, about a quarter mile north of PA Route 23 and 3.4 miles east of Marietta. The county places it on the line between Rapho and West Hempfield townships. It is a single span 103 ft long, built in 1869, and officially named Big Chiques #7 Bridge. It is open to one lane of traffic.
History
Elias McMellen built the bridge in 1869 for $2,969. Its sides and floor were repaired in 1925. Chiques Creek was known as Chickies Creek until 2002, so older sources use that spelling. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1980. Lancaster County owns and maintains it.
Design
The bridge uses double Burr arch trusses, with a timber arch on each side combined with a multiple kingpost truss, and steel hanger rods added later. The deck is oak plank. It is painted red inside and out, the traditional Lancaster County color, and both approaches are white.
Visiting
The bridge is on Bridge Valley Road just north of Route 23, less than a mile from Siegrist's Mill Covered Bridge. Vehicles can cross one at a time.
Sources: Wikipedia: Forry's Mill Covered Bridge, Lancaster County Covered Bridges guide (2021), Lancaster County: Covered Bridges
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