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Mercer's Mill, Chester County

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Inventory Number: PA/38-15-19 / PA-36-38
County: Chester County / Lancaster County
Township: West Fallowfield - Sadsbury
Town/Village: South of Atglen
Bridge Name: Mercer's Mill
Crosses: East Branch Octoraro Creek
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 103' overall, 86'-2" span
Roadway Width: 15'-6"
Built: 1880
Builder: Brinton J. Carter or B.C. Carter
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N39 55.887
Longitude: W075 58.895
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 1.7 miles south of jct with PA372 on PA41, then 1.2 miles right on Highland Rd. and 1.2 miles on Bailey Crossroads Rd. 2 miles northeast of Steelville.

Captain John Mercer's Mill Bridge, West Fallowfield-Sadsbury, Chester County, PA. Built 1860
Fred Yenerall Collection

Captain John Mercer's Mill Bridge, West Fallowfield-Sadsbury, Chester County, PA. Built 1860
Bill Caswell Photo, May 2, 2015

Mercer's Mill Bridge, West Fallowfield-Sadsbury, Chester County, PA. Built 1880
Bill Caswell Photo, July 28, 2013

Comments:
10-panel truss. Also known as Captain John Mercer's Mill Bridge. Was East Octoraro #0, now #2 and Chester County #16. Cost $1652. The builder has been listed as J. Brinton Carter and B.J. Carter. He was most likely Brinton Jones Carter (1827-1907) who was listed in Lancaster County directories as a carpenter from the 1860s through the 1880s. He later lived in Philadelphia. In 1937, a tremendous flood lifted the bridge off its abutments and dropped it down right between them. The abutments were worn, so necessary repairs were made and the bridge returned to the site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1980. It is still standing between Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County on T976 and West Fallowfield Township, Chester County on T332, which is Baily's Crossroads Road in both counties.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 90
James, Arthur E.. Covered Bridges of Chester County, PA, 1976, pages 23-24
Travis, Dale. Pennsylvania Covered Bridges List, updated to 26 Aug 2004, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbpa.htm (23 Sep 2004)
Collins, Kenneth W.. Covered Bridges of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2002, pages 34-35, 68-69
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 110-111
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, September 2005
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 106