Willow Hill - 1962
The 1962 Willow Hill Covered Bridge, also called Amish Farm Covered Bridge, is a covered bridge that spans Miller’s Run, which flows into Mill Creek, a tributary of the Conestoga River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Willow Hill Bridge was built in 1962 by Roy Zimmerman as a reconstruction using parts of the Miller's Farm Covered Bridge, built-in 1871 by Elias McMellen at the cost of $1, 875, and Good's Fording Covered Bridge, built-in 1855 by Levi Fink, at the cost of $1,165.
Both bridges were slated for demolition in 1962. The County of Lancaster gave Mr. Adolph Neuber (then owner of the Amish Farm & House) the Millers Farm Bridge to preserve this historical landmark. Neuber then purchased the Goods Ford Bridge to repair the rotten wood from the Millers' bridge. With the help and guidance of Roy Zimmerman, the bridges were restored and combined to complete the Willows Bridge.
The bridge has a single-span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County Covered Bridges, on the outside. The inside is unpainted. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color.
Because it was constructed from two historic covered bridges, it is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places like most of the other covered bridges in the county.
This bridge was named for The Willows, a restaurant, which was located nearby. Every piece, except the wood shingles, is from the original bridges. The original handmade spikes and bolts were reused.
The floor is red oak while some cords are white pine. The arches were cut from pine trees that were 150 years old when cut, therefore making part of the bridge almost 300 years old.
Span length: 72.5 ft.
Total length: 72.5 ft.
Deck width: 13.5 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.5 ft.
Of the 1,500 covered bridges that once stood in the state of Pennsylvania, as of 2019, approximately 200 remain.
Located at: N40 01.466 W76 12.091 - WGCB #38-36-43
Photographed in July of 2019.