Bridge spans centuries

By Damian Gessel
The Daily Item

May 13, 2008 05:56 am

— MONTANDON -- The oldest documented covered bridge in America has stood for more than 180 years. Now it needs some fixing up, and local leaders and residents want to make sure it makes it to its 200th birthday.
The Rishel Covered Bridge crosses Chillisquaque Creek in West Chillisquaque Township, Northumberland County. According to township resident and covered bridge enthusiast Cherie Boyer, it was built in either 1825 or 1827, making it the oldest bridge in the country.
Northumberland County engineer Chuck Hopta said the bridge needs a variety of repairs.
"It needs some cosmetic repairs. Structurally, it's OK, though," he said, noting that the stone wall bordering the bridge needs to be replaced.
"Our aim currently is to keep it serviceable for local traffic," Hopta said. "We hope there doesn't come a time when we have to take it out of service."
Northumberland County has full or partial ownership of six covered bridges. Hopta said the county has already repaired and restored four of them, and takes pride in keeping them well-maintained. In today's down economy, though, some wonder at the efficiency of covered bridges, many of which -- like the Rishel Bridge -- have severe weight restrictions.
The fact is that the march of development, periodic flooding and vandalism combined to knock out hundreds of covered bridges across the country in the 1920s and 1930s. The bridges that remained were almost without exception in rural, relatively low-traffic areas, and were enshrined as historic.
There's a reason for that, Boyer explained.
"Covered bridges take you back to slower times -- they're part of our heritage," she said.
Boyer has toured 150 of the state's 200 covered bridges, and she has plans to see the other 50.
Boyer isn't alone in believing the bridges bring in tourism dollars. Every fall, the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau hosts a Covered Bridge Festival at Knoebels Amusement Resort.
"People come from all over the world to see them," Boyer said.
Carl Pardoe, a West Chillisquaque Township resident, said his interest in the Rishel Covered Bridge goes back generations. He said his grandmother lived just down the road from it. To him, as to many, it represents a quainter time.
"Society is so fast-paced now," he said. "Sometimes I just need to come out to the bridge and sit down."
Hopta estimates repairs at Rishel bridge will cost a couple thousand dollars. West Chillisquaque Township Supervisor Vaughn Murray believes it will be money well spent.
"If you spend a little bit now to maintain it, you won't have to spend a lot more later," he said.
So why are covered bridges covered in the first place? According to Joseph Conwill, the author of a book on the subject, covering a wooden bridge protects it from rot, lengthening its lifespan. It was also, said Boyer, a good way to give travelers shelter from rain.
n E-mail comments to dgessel@dailyitem.com.

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