Sachs Covered Bridge

The Sachs Covered Bridge was constructed in 1852 by David S. Stoner for $1,544. ¹ The crossing was used by both Union and Confederate troops during the American Civil War. 1 2 Specifically, on July 1, 1863, the bridge was crossed by two brigades of the I Corps of the Union heading towards Gettysburg, and the III Corps crossed the span towards the Black Horse Tavern. ² Four days later, a majority of General Robert Lee’s Confederate troops crossed over the bridge after a Union victory in the Battle of Gettysburg.

The covered bridge was designed as the state’s “most historic bridge” in 1938 by the state Bureau of Public Transportation. In 1960, plans surfaced to replace the crossing with a modern two-lane bridge, ³ and the antiquated span was closed to automobile traffic on May 9, 1968. ^{1 4 5} It was subsequently reopened to pedestrians. The Sachs Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1980. ²

The Sachs Covered Bridge underwent a $500,000 restoration project in 1996. ⁷ A flash flood on June 19 knocked the bridge off of an abutment, which required $100,000 in repairs. ^{6 7} The renovated and repaired crossing was rededicated on July 21, 1997. ⁸