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Hayes Clark (twin), Chester County

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Inventory Number: PA/38-15-07x
County: Chester County
Township: East Fallowfield
Town/Village: East of Doe Run
Bridge Name: Hayes Clark (twin)
Crosses: Doe Run
Truss type: Burr
Spans: 1
Length: 74' span
Roadway Width: 17'
Built: 1884
Builder: Ferdinand Wood
When Lost: 1963
Cause: Arson
Latitude: N39 55.21
Longitude: W075 47.93
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: Crosses Doe Run just south of its junction with Buck Run.

Hayes Clark (twin) Bridge, East Fallowfield, Chester County, PA. Built 1884 Arson 1963
Todd Clark Collection

Comments:
Chester County #79. 8-panel truss. According to Covered Bridges of Chester County, Pennsylvania by Arthur E. James, there were two covered bridges built at the same site some distance upstream that were washed away, the latter time being June 26, 1884. All the present crossing points, or fords within the grounds of the former Buck and Doe Run Valley Farms were in existence as far back as the 1873 Chester County atlas, so Highland Dairy Road (T382 in 1941) is likely the old upstream site, which later was the site of a Pratt through-truss that was moved to replace the arsoned Jefferis Ford Bridge (PA/38-15-44x) in 1953. The first covered bridge at the new site was built in late 1884 as a single span Burr Truss. The bridge was built by Ferdinand Wood at a cost of $1,362.00 and Denithorne & Pollitt built the stonework for $925. It was located only 750' southeast of another covered bridge, Speakman's Mill #2 (PA/38-15-06), which still spans Buck Run, just inside the East Fallowfield Township line on a now abandoned stretch of road called McCorkle's or McCorkle's Rock Road until it was arsoned in 1963. The charred skeleton of the bridge was still standing in December 1965 and may have lasted until the new covered bridge was built on the same abutments in 1971. On the 1941 Type 10 map, the section of road that ran from Route 82 to an abandoned crossroad directly south of Hayes Clark Bridge was T371. From there it changed to T373, so technically, both bridges were on T373. Beginning in 1916, Robert J. Kleberg Jr. became heavily involved in ranching as president of King Ranch, Inc. in Texas and Buck and Doe Run Valley Farms at Coatesville, PA. The bridges became private about this time. Most of this farm is now under easement to the Brandywine Conservancy. The two bridges are locked up behind gates and permission should be granted to visit them.

Sources:
James, Arthur E.. Covered Bridges of Chester County, PA, 1976
Travis, Dale. Pennsylvania Covered Bridges List, updated to 26 Aug 2004, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbpa.htm (23 Sep 2004)
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume XXXIX, No. 3, Summer 1981, page 12
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 84-85
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, May 2007

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