Leaman's Place Covered Bridge - Paradise, PA - Truss Bridges on Waymarking.com

I've noticed of the dozen or so covered bridges I have visited so far, this one is still the most used, still spanning major roadway. Other bridges and the roads they span have been bypassed and the original road has amounted to nothing more than a short cut or private road to a farm. The traffic here was frequent and plentiful and consisted of horse drawn carriages and modern automobiles used equally by the Amish and the fast-paced. There was no room to walk around inside or even on the sides as with most bridges. Even the grassy leas off to the sides were cordoned off so as to not allow trespassers. I ventured out anyway onto the grass to get some nice side shots of the bridge and even walked through a few times, throwing cautious glances over my shoulder all the while.

The 113-foot bridge is well-maintained; the planks are sturdy, even and intact, the walls and bridge buttressed smartly by the typical wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. This is the design found on every bridge including this one. The bridge, entirely utilitarian in construction is devoid of windows, thereby not affording the pleasant view of the Pequea Creek and idyllic scenery which surrounds. Yes, sheep were grazing, cows were mooing and the rushing of the creek rushed interminably by as I suspect it has for centuries. The bridge, not so old, was constructed a second time in 1893. It is not uncommon for these bridges to be built, rebuilt and then reinvented all over. The great storm of 2011 wiped away two of the county's bridges, Leaman being spared and still for for duty.

The land that the Leaman's Place Covered Bridge is situated on was settled by the family of Mary Ferree in 1712, a land grant by William Penn in an area inhabited by the Pequaws Indians. It was not until 1845 that James C. Carpenter built the covered bridge across the Pequea Creek at a cost of $933. In 1893, Elias McMellan rebuilt the covered bridge at a cost of $2,431. The bridge was rehabilitated in 2004. SOURCE

The bridge is located on South Belmont Road on the border of Paradise and Leacock Townships. The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-20. Added in 1980, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as structure number 80003519. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Pequea #4 Bridge. The bridge is also known as Eshelman's Mill Covered Bridge and Paradise Bridge (locally I imagine).

I recorded a video of the bridge as I walked through it, paying particular to the panorama which surrounds, which is Paradise, literally and by name. Note the stone retaining walls which lead to both the north and south approaches. The video, hosted by Youtube, can be found HERE.

I found myself lingering around much longer than necessary as I thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility of the moment, occasionally broken by the passing motorist but made whole again by the clip clop of the passing horse whose rider would invariably tip his head to me in greeting, completely unaware our customs demanded the contrary.