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Barronvale, Somerset County

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Inventory Number: PA/38-56-03
County: Somerset County
Township: Middle Creek
Town/Village: Barronvale
Bridge Name: Barronvale
Crosses: Laurel Hill Creek
Truss type: Multiple King & Tied Arch
Spans: 2
Length: 162'
Roadway Width: 13'-10"
Built: 1902
Builder: Cassimer Cramer
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N39 57.165
Longitude: W079 16.229
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 2.0 miles west of jct PA281 on PA653, then 1.0 miles right on Ream Rd. (SR3035), and 320 feet right and and 140 feet straight ahead on a bypassed section of Ream Rd. Northwest of New Lexington.

Barronvale Bridge, Middle Creek, Somerset County, PA. Built 1830 or 1902
Todd Clark Collection

Barronvale Bridge, Middle Creek, PA. Built 1902
© Lisa Plamondon
Barronvale Bridge, Middle Creek, Somerset County, PA. Built 1902
Bill Caswell Photo, February 27, 2010

Barronvale Bridge, Middle Creek, Somerset County, PA. Built 1902
Bill Caswell Photo, February 27, 2010

Comments:
4-panel & 8-panel truss with tied Arch. Was Kooser's Mill. Closed, private. It is a two span bridge with unequal span lengths. The longer span is 88' and the shorter is 51'. Due to this unusual feature, consequently, the arches are different heights. One source gives a total length of 147', while another is 162'. Henry Falk's notes state - "Besides crossing the creek, it also crossed a mill race. It was built by Cassimer Cramer, but I do not know the exact date. I have two dates. 1902 is much too late for me and 1830 may be a bit too early because of the laminated arches. It is said to have been built at a cost of $300.00, a figure that I feel is low." The bridge was strengthened in 1845. On the 1941 Type 10 map, it is found in the middle of a cluster of intersecting roads. The numerical designation at the bridge is open to opinion, but appeared to have been on LR55118, which is presently called Covered Bridge Road. The other possibility was Ream Road (LR55149), which came up to Covered Bridge Road from the south close to the west end of the bridge and continued straight ahead from the east end, while Covered Bridge Road (continuing LR55118) turned south after crossing. In 1962, the bridge was bypassed on the downstream side and the road slightly realigned to straighten it. It is now Covered Bridge Road (SR3014) and the covered bridge is only open to pedestrian traffic.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 242
Barkman, Sheldon H.. Covered Bridges of Somerset County, PA, 1979, Page 8
National Society For the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Covered Bridge Topics, Volume XLVIII, No. 2, Spring 1990, page 10
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 128-129
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, May 2012
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 128

Compilation 2026 Covered Spans of Yesteryear

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