Wertz's Covered Bridge
Also known as: Red Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 by contractor Amandas Knerr for the County of Berks, the Wertz's Covered Bridge spans the Tulpehocken Creek between Bern and Spring Townships. It is 165 feet long, 16 feet wide and 12 feet high, and uses a Burr arch truss, a design patented by Theodore Burr in 1804. The bridge was built mainly of white pine, pinned with oak pins soaked in pine tar, and originally had a wooden shingle roof and red paint. It served as a toll bridge for its first quarter century and was county-owned for most of its life, with a period under state ownership from 1940 to 1953. Its significance rests on its length among surviving single-span covered bridges in Pennsylvania and its role as a link between the Old Tulpehocken Road and the Red Bridge Road, which was laid out by 1796. Local merchant Dr. Reed's Common Sense Shoe Store painted an advertisement on its beams, which remains visible. Today the bridge stands in its original location within a county park and is used by hikers and cyclists.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is one of the longest remaining single-span covered bridges in Pennsylvania and a surviving example of the Burr arch truss common in Berks County. It is also linked to local transportation history, including its position on a well-travelled route and its earlier role serving a nearby mill and ford.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002347, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Reading on T 921, Bern/Spring Townships, Reading |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002347 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1867 |
| Architect / builder | Amandas Knerr (contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | No longer open to automobile traffic; used by hikers, bicyclists and park visitors within the Tulpehocken Creek Valley Park system. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.36871, -75.97843 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002347.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7983619
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.