PA Covered Bridge Journey: Lehigh County

Today we take a journey through northeast Lehigh County, up the Jordan Creek. These are some of the most beautiful examples of covered bridges within the state, along with the widest, with several of them hovering around 17 feet wide. The average width of a Pennsylvania covered bridge is about 10 feet wide. These are some seriously awesome structures. That are every bit as beautiful as the rest of the roughly 200 covered bridges throughout the state. I also feel like I am home when crossing through these bridges, for when I first went to college a long time ago, I graduated with an Associates Degree at Lehigh Carbon Community College. I eventually transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, and have since settled in Pittsburgh. On my way to LCCC each day, I would try to get as many of these covered bridges within my route as I could. Having all of these covered bridges within my route, it made detouring around the slow SR 309 all the more worthwhile.

Manasses Guth Bridge

Coordinates: 40.6283° N, 75.5536° W

Manasses Guth Bridge - Built in 1858 and located in South Whitehall Township, near Orefield, PA

This stunning covered bridge is in the midst of a restoration process. This, as with all of the Lehigh County bridges, is taken care of really well. As with all of the other covered bridges in the county, it is built with the Burr Arch-Truss.   

Nearby, just down the street on Iron Bridge Road, is this cool concrete arch bridge. It dates back more than a century to the old Catasaqua and Fogelsville Railroad. It carried lime, coke, and iron ore to a former major steel plant in Catasaqua. There are large deposits of lime in southern Lehigh County, and this was a major commodity for production and also a major reason why Bethlehem Steel and others popped up around the Lehigh Valley.

While there are many railroad concrete arch bridges, something about this one really catches my eye.

South Whitehall Township has joined the Manasses Guth Bridge and the next bridge we are checking out, Wehr Covered Bridge, into Covered Bridge Park, a nice community park that opens up access to the covered bridges, and a large swath of the Jordan Creek's banks, to public access. Considering the popularity of trout fishing in this waterway, this is an excellent thing for the community. Additionally, playgrounds, playing fields, and pavilions make awesome places for the community to gather and relax. This is one of the nicest community parks within the state.

Wehr Covered Bridge 

Coordinates: 40.5689° N, 75.5047° W

Wehr Covered Bridge - Built in 1841 and located in South Whitehall Township near Orefield

This is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, covered bridge within the state. It is absolutely stunning to me. There is something about the excellent and perfectly pointed stone work, and the care given to this bridge really shows. In July of 2014, a grossly overweight vehicle crossed the bridge and damaged the bridge. Thankfully they were able to make the necessary repairs.

The width of this Burr Arch-Truss bridge is 17 feet, tied with several of the other Lehigh County covered bridges for widest in the state.

While Wehr Mill is long gone, Wehr Dam remains. This remains as a popular fishing spot and it also serves as a flood control device.

The other thing that impresses me about this bridge is how many contributing structures remain. Old village structures still remain.

Including these lime kilns, that have probably stood idle for the better part of a century. It is incredible how intact they are.

Rex Covered Bridge

Coordinates: 40.6347° N, 75.6128° W

Rex Covered Bridge - Built in 1858 and located in North Whitehall Township, near Orefield, PA and south of Schnecksville, PA

Rex measures in at 116 feet and it was built using the Burr Arch-Truss method. It was named after the Rex family, which owned land in the area.

This bridge also measures in around 17 feet, almost unheard of with covered bridges anywhere else.

Geiger Covered Bridge

Coordinates: 40.6462° N, 75.6165° W

Geiger Covered Bridge - built in 1860 and located in North Whitehall Township, south of Schnecksville, PA

Measuring in at 110 feet, this beauty has a portal style with vertical and squared off planks that is very rare. It utilizes the Burr Arch-Truss building style and it is located within the Trexler Nature Preserve

Trexler Nature Preserve/Lehigh Valley Zoo

The Trexler Nature Preserve is an 1108 acre county park that plays host to a large nature area, some awesome views of the Lehigh Valley, a herd of buffalo and elk, and the Lehigh Valley Zoo. It was created as a vision of local gilded age tycoon Harry Trexler. His vision included preserving the buffalo species and possibly saving it from what looked like inevitable extinction. He left his estate into a trust to benefit the lives of Lehigh Valley residents. In addition to the Trexler Nature Preserve, he left other great places for recreation, including the Lil-Le-Hi Trout Hatchery, Lehigh Parkway Park, and more.

The Trexler Environmental Center is a LEED certified building that serves as an interpretive center for the nature preserve, as well as an observation deck of the beautiful rolling grasslands.

The building also has solar panels and sustainable rain water management devices on the roof, in addition to awesome accessibility for everyone.

The views are absolutely stunning

On a clearer day you can see further, but the views with the fog are absolutely stunning.

I was not using my fish eye, that is just how dramatic these rolling grasslands are. Simply stunning

Schlicher Covered Bridge

 Schlicher Covered Bridge - Built in 1882 and rebuilt in 2014, located in North Whitehall Township near Schnecksville, PA

PennDOT determined that the original bridge was damaged beyond repair and that it needed to be replaced. They did a nice job with it. They claim that roughly ten percent of the original materials were reused in this Burr Arch-Truss bridge.

Lehigh County has some of the most beautiful and well preserved covered bridges within the state. Be sure to visit the covered bridges, the Trexler Nature Preserve, the Lehigh Valley Zoo, America's second drive-in theater and the oldest remaining venue, Shankweiler's Drive-In, and more. 

Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir Recreation Area, Warren County, PA

One of the most scenic areas of Northern Pennsylvania and Southwestern New York is the Allegheny Reservoir Region. 

Initiated under the Flood Control Act of 1938, the Kinzua Dam was erected by the Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control measure after the devastating St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936 in Pittsburgh. Youghiogheny, Loyalhanna, Conemaugh, Crooked Creek, Mahoning Creek. Tionesta Lake, and Tygert Lake Dams were all built under the Flood Control Act of 1938, many of which also provide recreational opportunities in addition to their flood control and navigational purposes. The dam is also utilized for hydro power.

Unfortunately, this dam is one of a number from that era that broke many promises with Native Americans. Lake of Betrayal, A film is currently in the works for PBS, that will cover the hardships faced by the Seneca nation when eminent domain and treaties that dated back to the start of the nation were broken. An alternate flood control plan was offered to the Army Corps of Engineers, but instead, when the lake was built, a third of the Seneca Tribe's land was stolen once again. To compensate, land to the north of the reservation was contributed to the Seneca Indian Reservation. If you get the chance, check out Salamanca, NY and the rest of the reservation for it is quite beautiful.

By volume, the only lake in PA that exceeds the Allegheny Reservoir is Lake Erie. There are a bunch of boat launches, picnic areas, a swimming beach, overlooks, and more, that surround this picturesque lake.

One of the overlooks of the lake

The mountainous terrain surrounding the lake lends for countless scenic overlooks.

Bent Run Falls 

Coordinates: 41.8378° N, 79.0030° W

Bent Run Falls is a series of many cascades down a giant, boulder filled, creek bed. With 700 feet of elevation change, this is a fun little hike. Be prepared for some tricky terrain, so be sure to have proper hiking gear and be prepared to maneuver in an awkward fashion over some giant boulders and downed trees. 

The view of the reservoir from the area of the dam. The Allegheny River was seriously curvy in this section.

Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir, coupled with the surrounding Allegheny National Forest, including Hector Falls, and the nearby Kinzua Bridge and Elk Country, in addition to the Seneca-Iroquois Museum in the Seneca nation on the northern end of the lake in New York, make this an awesome area to visit.

Gravity Hill and Cuppet's Covered Bridge, New Paris, PA Bedford County

Today investigate a location on a quiet Bedford County country road that has led towards all sorts of conjecture, Gravity Hill, located near the small village of New Paris, PA. It is believed that vehicles and objects can "roll uphill," and gravity is suspended in this spot. Conjecture for the cause of this ranges from supernatural phenomenon, failure of gravity, a shift in magnetic force, and more. Is this place an anomaly or the case of an optical illusion? We go with the latter, but it is up to you to decide.

Here is Brit, our lovely experimenter with our tests on Gravity Hill

I will start off this article off with a quick overview of the area. This is one of the most stunning and mountainous areas within the state. The first spot we are looking at is the site of the former Grandview/Ship Hotel location/Mt. Ararat Scenic Overlook. This mountain is always stunning to ride up. The summit, just uphill from this spot, is even higher than the elevation of 2,464 feet that this lookout is at. It makes for a great spot to get out and stretch your legs while taking a ride on the Lincoln Highway. While the Grandview Hotel no longer exists, the nearby Lincoln Motor Court is an excellent place to spend the night in the countryside here. 

On a clear day, you can see for miles from this spot. Both times I have taken Brit to this overlook, the skies were foggy. 

Gravity Hill:
Coordinates: 40°06.67700', -078°41.57200'

WE ARE HERE! The drive just to get to this point is beautiful enough on its own to make it worth a trip. This rugged, mountainous, and beautiful area exemplifies the beauty of the Pennsylvania countryside. Now we check out the myth of this spot, to figure out if there is something to the "rolling up hill," or if it is just a myth.

This is the start of the second spot that is considered to be a "Gravity Hill." I felt that this one's optical illusion was actually a little bit stronger than the main attraction. They are both on the same stretch of road.  

The main Gravity Hill.

The photos definitely do the spot more justice than when you are actually there. The spot is definitely downhill.

When you take away the cut into the hill that they made into the surrounding hillside, you can see that the look of it being uphill is an optical illusion. Regardless of the case though, this spot is one of those strange roadside attractions that popped up all along the Lincoln Highway, and across all of the old time major highways, not unlike the Haines Shoe House near York, PA, or the fabled "Largest Ball of Twine" in Kansas. Gravity Hill is another one of those zany roadside oddities that has captured the imagination of generations of Americans.

We first tried some marbles to test this out, after we placed the car into neutral to see what would happen, it did coast, as it naturally would on a downhill portion of road. The marble test proved futile due to the asphalt naturally being textured. 

Then we tried rolling the water bottle. That test was successful, though towards the end it just picked up the slight crown in the road and headed to the shoulder.

Then we tried pouring water. This was successful in rolling downhill on this "uphill" optical illusion, though it eventually flowed off to the side on the crown of the road.

Our verdict? This is a cool optical illusion on this very slight grade change on this road. There are two spots that are pretty neat. While I would not plan a trip around simply visiting this, the drive alone is worth it, meandering through the mountainous country roads and seeing the many different scenic areas around the area.

Cuppett's/New Paris Covered Bridge

Coordinates: 40.1282° N, 78.6389° W

In the immediate area are a few covered bridges, including this one, the Cuppet's/New Paris Covered Bridge. This bridge is well taken care of, and it is one of the few covered bridges that I have seen that has unpainted wood. A very beautiful little bridge that measures in at 60 feet. 

Wendell August Forge, Grove City, PA Mercer County

Today we visit the Wendell August Forge in Grove City, PA, the last remaining operating forge within the state. This facility was opened in 2013 after the company's famed headquarters succumbed to fire in 2010. The Grove City Works is home to the company's main outlet, factory, historical museum, and main offices. Wendell August runs free tours, Monday through Saturday, from 9:00AM to 4:00PM, and it is located in a very scenic area of the state.

The exterior of the Wendell August facilities

Some of the beautiful work available within the Wendell August Store

Brit was wearing a bright fleece sweater, and you can see just how reflective these beautiful pieces of art are.

Grove City National Bank commissioned Wendell August for renovations to their bank. The work was considered to be so excellent and successful the bank convinced Wendell August to relocate their main forge within the city after their founding in Brockway, PA, near DuBois. This bank table was from that renovation. They opened up their new Grove City main forge in 1933. In the midst of the devastation of the Great Depression, the company weathered the storm through selling their goods, different mementos and trinkets, within department stores. Their business, catering to the high end of the businesses during this time period, continued to grow.

The company was originally founded in 1923 after Wendell August, then a coal mine operator, requested some custom shed door hinges from a blacksmith named Ottone "Tony" Pisoni. The high quality and low prices offered by Mr. Pisoni inspired August Wilson to create a forge business, one that has operated continuously since that point. Candlestick holders, door knockers, railings, and more, made up a good portion of the company's work during this time period. In 1930, The Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) commission Wendell August to create decorative elevator doors and gates. From this point forward, the business grew through the creation of decorative gifts and custom work, including commemorative plates for the first passengers on the doomed Hindenburg. This has continued to be a primary business for the company, forging using metals such as aluminum, sterling silver, bronze, and pewter.

Some historical examples of decorative Wendell August work, seen within the company's history museum. 

Here is a baptismal font that was used at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Slippery Rock, PA

Now that is an awesome lamp!

Now we check out the floor of the workshop.

Some examples of work within the stock area.

The storage area for plate metal that will soon become art.

Different metal stamping forms

In this machine shop area, they do cuts on the metal work and stamp in different impressions and designs. 

The workers making cuts to form the shape of the product they are working on..

Now here is Brit getting to one of her favorite activities, shopping back in the store area.

Wendell August Forge is a world class company that deserves a visit to uncover the history and craftsmanship of this Pennsylvania institution. It is located within an hour of Pittsburgh and Erie, and a half mile from the Grove City Factory Outlets and Springfield Falls. Seven Sisters Bed and Breakfast, Kidds Mill Covered Bridge, and more, are all located within a close range of the facility.