About
New Baltimore Covered Bridge crosses the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River at the northeast edge of New Baltimore, in Allegheny Township, eastern Somerset County. It carries Township Route 812, off Juniata Street, and it lies less than a quarter mile from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, though not near an exit. The bridge is 86 ft 6 in long and 12 ft wide and was built in 1879.
History
The bridge dates to 1879. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980, as part of the Covered Bridges of Somerset County group nomination. A flood destroyed the bridge in the mid 1990s and it was rebuilt. Uncoveringpa.com ties the flood and rebuild to 1996, and dalejtravis.com lists a restoration in 1998.
Design
The National Register nomination describes a queenpost truss, in which two vertical posts joined by a horizontal beam at the top, with diagonal braces to each end, carry the span. Some sources list the bridge as a kingpost truss instead.
Visiting
From the junction of Findley Street NE and Juniata Street in New Baltimore, go about 0.1 mile along Findley Street NE to the bridge. There is room to pull off on the north side of the road. The bridge is on a public township road.
Sources: New Baltimore Bridge (Wikipedia), Covered Bridges of Somerset County (Uncovering PA), New Baltimore 38-56-09 (dalejtravis.com)
Photo: Jwfmorris, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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