Kings Covered Bridge - Somerset County, Pennsylvania
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Kings Covered Bridge - Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Kings Covered Bridge, named after John King on whose land it was constructed, is a historical structure that stretches 127 feet over Laurel Hill Creek on Clay Pike in the Laurel Highlands. It holds the distinction of being possibly the oldest surviving covered bridge in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The exact year of its construction remains uncertain due to conflicting records, but it is speculated to have been built as early as 1802.
A unique feature of this bridge is its unique lattice floor joist design, which can be observed from the creek's bank. Originally designed with a King Post Truss, it later underwent modifications to incorporate a Burr Arch. The bridge served its purpose until 1934 when a new highway and bridge rendered it obsolete. Ownership of the bridge fell into the hands of the King family in the 1930s, who took on private maintenance responsibilities until 1988. Currently, Middlecreek Township holds ownership of this historic structure.
Kings Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980; it is one of ten remaining covered bridges in Somerset County.
Copyright 2023 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
December 9th, 2023
Embed
Share