Parr's Mill Covered Bridge

About

Parr's Mill Covered Bridge No. 10 crosses the North Branch of Roaring Creek at Parr's Mill, on the line between Cleveland and Franklin townships in Columbia County. It is a Burr arch truss bridge about 84 ft long (84.25 ft per Wikipedia; coveredbridges.net gives 85 ft total). The bridge is intact but closed to all traffic.

History

F.L. Shuman built the bridge in 1865 for $1,275. Its name comes from the nearby Willow Grove Grist Mill, which Washington Parr bought in 1875 and which became known as Parr's Mill. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979, and was renovated in September 2012.

Design

The Burr arch truss pairs a long timber arch with a multiple kingpost truss. Parr's Mill has a largest span of 69.9 ft, an 11.2 ft wide deck, 8.8 ft of vertical clearance above the deck, and a tarred metal roof.

Visiting

The bridge is just east of Route 487, and uncoveringpa recommends approaching it from Ashton Hollow Road. It no longer carries cars across the creek. There is a little room to pull off the road at the northern end of the bridge.

Sources: Parr's Mill Covered Bridge No. 10 (Wikipedia), Parr's Mill Covered Bridge (coveredbridges.net), Covered Bridges of Columbia County (Uncovering PA)

Photo: Ruhrfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.