Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge

About

Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge carries Township Road 307 over Big Elk Creek north of Lewisville, near West Grove, linking Elk and New London townships in Chester County. The original 80-foot Burr truss bridge was built in 1880. The current bridge is a reconstruction that closely replicates it and reopened to traffic in October 2025.

History

Menander Wood built the bridge in 1880 under a $1,440 contract, and Richard T. Meredith built the stone and mortar abutments and wing walls for $890. The name comes from the paper firm of Rudolph and Arthur; a dam above the site powered a paper mill from 1850 to 1909. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980. Floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Ida destroyed it on September 1, 2021, and it was removed from the National Register on December 12, 2022. Reconstruction began in October 2024, and a reopening ceremony was held on October 15, 2025.

Design

A Burr truss pairs a multiple kingpost truss with a long timber arch on each side. The original bridge had vertical planking and window openings at the eaves. The replacement repeats the Burr arch truss design.

Visiting

The bridge is on Township Road 307 north of Lewisville and is open to vehicles again after the 2025 reconstruction.

Sources: Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge (Wikipedia), Chester County Reopens Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge (MyChesCo, 2025), Rudolph and Arthur (coveredbridges.net)