Turner's Covered Bridge

About

Turner's Covered Bridge, also known as Diehls (Diehl's) Covered Bridge and the Raystown Covered Bridge, crosses the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Harrison Township, Bedford County, south of Schellsburg and west of Manns Choice. It is a single-span Burr truss bridge about 88 feet long, built around 1892. It carries Faupel Road and can be driven.

History

The exact construction date is not known; sources give 1892 or about 1892. No builder is recorded. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1980, under the name Diehls Covered Bridge, as part of the Bedford County Covered Bridges multiple property submission. The Historic American Engineering Record documented it as HAER PA-361, "Raystown Covered Bridge." Wikipedia notes that the bridge appears in the opening scenes of the television anthology series Tales from the Darkside, created by George A. Romero.

Design

It is a Burr truss with a shallow gable roof. In a Burr truss, a long timber arch on each side is combined with a multiple kingpost truss, and the arch ends bear on the abutments. Wikipedia gives the length as 88.3 feet; dalejtravis.com gives 87 feet.

Visiting

From Manns Choice, follow PA 31 west, then turn north on Faupel Road (T418) for 0.3 mile to the bridge, according to dalejtravis.com. Uncoveringpa.com notes that the road dead-ends at the Pennsylvania Turnpike just past the bridge and that there is room for several cars before the bridge.

Sources: Diehls Covered Bridge (Wikipedia), Diehl or Turner 38-05-19 (dalejtravis.com), Covered Bridges of Bedford County (Uncovering PA)