Hassenplug Covered Bridge

Built in 1825, ^[2][5] the Hassenplug Covered Bridge is the oldest covered bridge in Pennsylvania and among the oldest in the United States. ^[2] The bridge follows a Burr truss design, patented by Theodore Burr in 1804, and was named for the Hassenplug family, who lived on the north bank of Buffalo Creek and were farmers and brewers. ^[5]

Constructed with wooden pins and iron bolts securing its joints, the bridge originally functioned as a fully structural wooden truss. ^[1] However, in 1959, the wooden floor system was replaced with steel I-beams, rendering the wood truss ornamental. This modernization was designed by engineer S.R. Collins and completed by John Thatcher & Son of Milton, with the project dedicated on October 12. ^[4][6]

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. A major restoration project in 2022 was overseen by project engineer Shawn McLaughlin and the Larson Design Group, with work performed by the Nestlerode Contracting Company. ^[1][3] It addressed the steel bridge deficiencies and included replacing the bridge deck, repairing deteriorated areas of the near abutment, stabilizing the channel, and repaving the approaches. ^[3] Approximately 30% of the original structural timber was replaced, with the deteriorated structural timbers donated to the Union County Historical Society for use in a covered bridge display project.