Kreidersville Covered Bridge

About

Kreidersville Covered Bridge crosses Hokendauqua Creek at Covered Bridge Road in the village of Kreidersville, Allen Township, Northampton County, north of Northampton. It is a single-span Burr arch truss about 116 ft long, built in 1839, and it is the last remaining covered bridge in Northampton County. It no longer carries traffic and is open to pedestrians only.

History

The bridge was first called Hummel's Bridge and later Hummel's, Koch's and Solt's Bridge after nearby families. In 1959 the State Highway Department planned to replace it with a concrete bridge; residents rallied to save it and formed the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania that year. The department restored the bridge in 1960, and Northampton County accepted ownership with support from the society, the Harmony Grange and local citizens. It was rededicated as Solt's Bridge on September 30, 1961, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980. Allen Township took ownership on December 23, 1997, and volunteers repainted the bridge in 1998, 2008 and 2009. Most sources date it to 1839; the National Register data gives 1840.

Design

The Burr arch truss sandwiches a multiple kingpost truss between timber arches that rest on the abutments. The bridge association and Wikipedia give the length as 116 ft; Discover Lehigh Valley gives 100 ft.

Visiting

The bridge stands in Kreidersville Covered Bridge Park at 100 Covered Bridge Road, Northampton. It is closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians. It is the last stop on the Lehigh Valley Covered Bridge tour.

Sources: Kreidersville Covered Bridge (Wikipedia), History (Kreidersville Covered Bridge Association), Covered Bridges of Lehigh Valley (Discover Lehigh Valley)