Baumgardner's Mill Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1860 over Pequea Creek on Willow Street, Baumgardner's Mill Covered Bridge carries traffic between Pequea and Martic Townships in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is a Burr truss bridge, a wooden structure type widely used in the 19th century. The bridge is sheathed in vertical board and batten siding and has portals at each end and large stone abutments that support it. Its end post length is recorded as 111 feet. The bridge was evaluated as one of several covered bridges in the county that illustrate wood-frame construction of that era. Reviewers noted that its trusses were in good condition, although the boundaries needed to be adjusted to take in the full abutments. The bridge was included as part of a group of Lancaster County covered bridges that were evaluated together. Its importance rests on its survival as a complete example of this building tradition in the region.
Significance in brief: The form identifies the bridge as a representative example of 19th-century wood-frame covered bridge construction in Lancaster County. It is noted for its vertical board and batten siding, portals, and large abutments, and its trusses are described as being in good condition.
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 80003541, listed December 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Willow Street on T 425, Pequea/Mantic Townships, Willow Street |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | December 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003541 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.93063, -76.29518 (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 80003541.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4873552
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.