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Martin's Mill or Shindle, Franklin County

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

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: PA/38-28-01
County: Franklin County
Township: Antrim
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Martin's Mill or Shindle
Crosses: Conococheague Creek
Truss type: Town
Spans: 2
Length: 206' span, 225' overall
Roadway Width: 16'
Built: 1839 or 1849
Builder: Jacob Shirk
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N39 45.894
Longitude: W077 46.543
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.6 miles west of US11 on PA16, then 3.2 miles left on Grant Shook Rd. and 0.6 miles right on E Weaver Rd. to Martins Mill Bridge Park. Southwest of Greencastle.

Martin's Mill or Shindle Bridge, Antrim, Franklin County, PA. Built 1849
Richard Donovan / Trish Kane Collection

Martin's Mill or Shindle Bridge, Antrim, PA. Built 1849
© Lisa Plamondon

Martin's Mill or Shindle Bridge, Antrim, PA. Built 1849
Bill Caswell Photo, January 21, 2019

Comments:
This the longest Town Lattice Truss covered bridge in Pennsylvania, as well as the second longest existing covered bridge in the state, exceeded in length only by Juniata County's Academia / Pomeroy Bridge (PA/38-34-01). It was condemned in 1962 and planned to be torn down after engineers determined it was unsafe and too expensive to repair. The Martin’s Mill Bridge Association was formed to advocate for the span. They fought the condemnation in court and on November 9, 1962, the county commissioners officially transferred ownership of the structure to the Association. The bridge was repaired and re-opened during a dedication ceremony on Saturday, September 11, 1965. It has been rehabilitated twice since being damaged by floods from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agnes on Thursday, June 22, 1972. It should also be noted that the Conococheague Creek only flows under the easternmost span, while the western span is mostly over dry land except for crossing an unmarked feeder stream that flows into the Conococheague from the west and north. It is currently closed to traffic.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 132
The Hagerstown Morning Herald, Saturday, September 11, 1965, Page 2
Echo Pilot, Thursday, November 15, 1962, Pages 1 & 4
Echo-Pilot, July 17, 2024
Unger, Frederick Fleming. Old Bridges of Franklin County, PA, 1941, Number 27
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 9, 100-101
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, October 2007
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 112

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