A bronze plaque located near the bridge states: “In 1938, the Pennsylvania Highway Department determined that the Sachs Bridge was the most historic covered bridge in the state”. It makes those claims for good reason. The bridge was used for the movement of both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War battle at nearby Gettysburg in 1863. The bridge, which has also been known as “Sachs Bridge”, was built in 1854 by David Spooner and runs 100 feet across the Marsh Creek in Cumberland Township, PA. In 1996 the bridge was lifted off its foundation and carried a short distance downstream. Repairs were made on the bridge in 1997. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1968 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is said to be a hot spot for ghost hunters seeking contact with the souls of three people who were allegedly hanged at one end of the bridge.
Thanks to Len at www.pacoveredbridges.com for peeking my interest in this bridge with his observations that it is a “must see bridge”. While I was there, several families and couples were picnicking in the area around the bridge, enjoying the beauty of the area and the solitude. The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, who owns the bridge, really has done a remarkable job at landscaping and upkeep in the bridge area.
This was one of seven bridges I photographed Sunday 8-30-2009, while on a tear through Cumberland, Adams and part of Franklin County. I shot this as seven bracketed RAW frames and then combined them into an HDR with Photomatix Pro and then, tone mapped that image before taking that into Photoshop CS4 and working on it a bit with the Topaz Detail plugin to bring out some of the rich colors.
