Covered Bridge Tour explores beauty of structures, scenery
If you’re looking for a breathtaking day of architecture and history, Bucks County’s got you covered.
The public is invited to take the Bucks County Covered Bridge Tour, to experience the beauty and history of the county’s dozen historical passes.
The covered bridges date back to the 1800s, according to Michelle Greco, public relations manager for the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
“It’s such a beautiful experience,” she said. “It’s a romantic ride back through time, like you’re driving through the olden days.”
Bucks County was once home to more than 50 covered bridges, but the number has dwindled to 12 as a result of flooding, neglect, progress, development and arson, according to the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society Web site, www.buckscountycbs.org.
These days, said Greco, the structures may not all be used for their original purposes, but their aesthetic and historical value is unparalleled.
“People used [these bridges] as direct routes over waterways for their horse and buggies,” she explained. “We are now able to take advantage of the beautiful infrastructure and take in a bit of history and beauty as we drive, walk, hike or bike through the bridges.”
With surrounding parks and brisk weather, Greco encouraged those planning to take the self-guided driving tour to pack a picnic lunch and make a day out of it.
Autumn is the best time to take advantage of the sights, she added.
“The tour is beautiful in the summer, but it’s amazing in the fall,” she said. “Bucks County in the fall — the weather, the colors — is absolutely amazing.”
Among the bridges on the tour are: Cabin Run, Erwinna, Frankenfield, Knecht’s, Loux, Mood’s, South Perkasie, Pine Valley, Schofield, Sheard’s, Uhlerstown and Van Sant.
The Loux Bridge, on Wismer Road in Plumstead Township, crosses Cabin Run Creek. The bridge was constructed in 1874 after a popular young man named Reed Myers drowned trying to ford the creek in that dangerous spot, according to tour’s description.
The Schofield Bridge, located in Tyler State Park and built in 1873, was rebuilt to its original specifications after a fire in 1991. After a 2004 fire destroyed Mood’s Bridge — originally constructed in 1874 — the structure was rebuilt and reopened to the public two years ago.
For more information, descriptions and a map of all the covered bridges, visit the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau Web site, www.visitbuckscounty.com. These historical structures will be celebrated throughout October, too.
The Bucks County Covered Bridge Society will hold its third annual Bucks County Covered Bridges Festival on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The festival includes a walking tour of two covered bridges, arts and crafts, live entertainment, food and activities for the entire family.
Entry to the event, held in Tinicum Park in Erwinna, is $2 per person and $1 for those 16 and younger. Proceeds from the festival will help preserve, repair and restore the historic covered bridges in Bucks County.
Also that weekend, the Central Bucks Bicycle Club will hold its 29th annual Covered Bridge Ride, a fundraising event that promotes the rural beauty of the area framed by fall foliage, according to its Web site, www.cbbikeclub.org.
The public is invited to take the Bucks County Covered Bridge Tour, to experience the beauty and history of the county’s dozen historical passes.
The covered bridges date back to the 1800s, according to Michelle Greco, public relations manager for the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
“It’s such a beautiful experience,” she said. “It’s a romantic ride back through time, like you’re driving through the olden days.”
Bucks County was once home to more than 50 covered bridges, but the number has dwindled to 12 as a result of flooding, neglect, progress, development and arson, according to the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society Web site, www.buckscountycbs.org.
These days, said Greco, the structures may not all be used for their original purposes, but their aesthetic and historical value is unparalleled.
“People used [these bridges] as direct routes over waterways for their horse and buggies,” she explained. “We are now able to take advantage of the beautiful infrastructure and take in a bit of history and beauty as we drive, walk, hike or bike through the bridges.”
With surrounding parks and brisk weather, Greco encouraged those planning to take the self-guided driving tour to pack a picnic lunch and make a day out of it.
Autumn is the best time to take advantage of the sights, she added.
“The tour is beautiful in the summer, but it’s amazing in the fall,” she said. “Bucks County in the fall — the weather, the colors — is absolutely amazing.”
Among the bridges on the tour are: Cabin Run, Erwinna, Frankenfield, Knecht’s, Loux, Mood’s, South Perkasie, Pine Valley, Schofield, Sheard’s, Uhlerstown and Van Sant.
The Loux Bridge, on Wismer Road in Plumstead Township, crosses Cabin Run Creek. The bridge was constructed in 1874 after a popular young man named Reed Myers drowned trying to ford the creek in that dangerous spot, according to tour’s description.
The Schofield Bridge, located in Tyler State Park and built in 1873, was rebuilt to its original specifications after a fire in 1991. After a 2004 fire destroyed Mood’s Bridge — originally constructed in 1874 — the structure was rebuilt and reopened to the public two years ago.
For more information, descriptions and a map of all the covered bridges, visit the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau Web site, www.visitbuckscounty.com. These historical structures will be celebrated throughout October, too.
The Bucks County Covered Bridge Society will hold its third annual Bucks County Covered Bridges Festival on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The festival includes a walking tour of two covered bridges, arts and crafts, live entertainment, food and activities for the entire family.
Entry to the event, held in Tinicum Park in Erwinna, is $2 per person and $1 for those 16 and younger. Proceeds from the festival will help preserve, repair and restore the historic covered bridges in Bucks County.
Also that weekend, the Central Bucks Bicycle Club will hold its 29th annual Covered Bridge Ride, a fundraising event that promotes the rural beauty of the area framed by fall foliage, according to its Web site, www.cbbikeclub.org.
