This was the first of seven bridges I photographed today (8-30-2009) while on a tear through Cumberland, Adams and part of Franklin County. The Bowmansdale Covered Bridge, also known as the Stoner Covered Bridge, was originally built in a different location near Bowmansdale in 1867. In 1971 it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Jacob S. Stoner who in turn donated the bridge to the nearby Messiah College. The students of the college worked to reassemble the bridge at its present location in 1972. The bridge, before moved, was 165 feet long. During the reassembly in 1971-1972 the structure’s Burr arch design was significantly altered and the new length of the bridge was set at 106 feet 5 inches long.
The bridge is open to vehicular traffic and is the primary gateway into a parking lot that serves several athletic fields for the college. When I was there I could see that the area around the bridge is a hotbed of activity for the kayak and inner tube enthusiasts in the area. Families were also picnicking on the banks of the river on a beautiful, sunny day.
The WGCB # for this bridge is listed as both 38-21-13 and 38-67-04 since it spans the boundary of two counties (Cumberland and York).
