Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge
Also known as: Eberly's Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Near Ephrata in West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge crosses Conestoga Creek. It was built in 1846 by George Fink and Samuel Reamsnyder and uses the burr truss, a timber framing method widely used in the 19th century. The bridge has vertical board and batten siding and triangular portals. Its styling matches the Weaver's Mill Bridge, also in West Earl Township, but it is in noticeably better condition. It is recorded as being in good condition and is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The bridge was nominated as part of a group of covered bridges in Lancaster County, which together illustrate how these structures were built in the region. Its value lies in its construction: a surviving, well-preserved example of a burr truss bridge from the mid-nineteenth century that shows how wood frame bridges of that era were put together.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as a good example of the 19th-century burr truss, a wood frame construction type. It is described as identical in styling to the Weaver's Mill Bridge, with vertical board and batten siding and triangular portals, and it is in better condition than that bridge. It is listed as part of the Covered Bridges of Lancaster County multiple property group.
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 80003516, listed December 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Ephrata on LR 36122, West Earl Township, Ephrata |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | December 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003516 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1846 |
| Architect / builder | George Fink and Samuel Reamsnyder (builders) |
| Architectural style | Burr truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.14035, -76.15195 (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 80003516.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4919196
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.