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Esther Furnace, Columbia County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

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Inventory Number: PA/38-19-20
County: Columbia County
Township: Cleveland
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Esther Furnace
Crosses: North Branch Roaring Creek
Truss type: Polygonal (Straight Timber) Arch
Spans: 2
Length: 111', 100'-10" overall, 92' span
Roadway Width: 13'-4"
Built: 1882
Builder: C.W. Eves
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N40 54.403
Longitude: W076 27.584
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 1.1 miles south of jct PA42 on PA487, then 0.2 miles left on McIntyre Rd., then 1.2 miles right on Rider Rd. and 0.4 miles straight ahead on Esther Furnace Rd. West of Slabtown.

Esther Furnace Bridge, Cleveland, Columbia County, PA Built 1882
Bill Caswell Photo

Esther Furnace Bridge, Cleveland, PA. Built 1882
© Lisa Plamondon

Esther Furnace Bridge, Cleveland, Columbia County, PA Built 1882
Bill & Jenn Caswell Photo, February 1, 2026

Comments:
County #11. Cost $1044.75. 5-panel truss. There is also an overall length of 109' from another source. This crossing was earlier an uncovered truss bridge (see PA-19-U03). Per The Morning Press (Bloomsburg), December 30, 1941, Mr. and Mrs. Rider had been married 60 years and Mr. Rider recalled that the day before he was married he had been working framing timber for the covered bridge at Esther Furnace.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 100
The Morning Press (Bloomsburg), December 30, 1941, p.3.
Travis, Dale. Pennsylvania Covered Bridges List, updated to 26 Aug 2004, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbpa.htm (23 Sep 2004)
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, May 2006
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 109

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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