Читать книгу Bartram Covered Bridge: Spanning History - George D. Conn - Страница 4

First Needed, then cast aside, now preserved - this historical landmark tells the story of the unique American spirit. Built at the time of President Abraham Lincoln was elected, the bridge celebrated its 150th year in 2010.

Bartram Covered Bridge is a story of survival. It is the last covered bridge standing in Delaware County, PA, and is one of only 15 remaining covered bridges in Chester County, PA. Other bridges have been lost to arson, vandalism, neglect, deterioration and removal by government policies.

The beginning chapters of the book will give you a detailed history of the period from 1860- 1940. It will explain why covered bridges were used, the planning and construction of Bartram Covered Bridge, how it got its name, and why the bridge is considered one of a kind in its design. It will also give you a history of the times in which the bridge was built, all the way up to 1941, when the bridge was closed forever to vehicles in the name of "progress".

The middle chapters of the book will give you a "living history" of the period 1941 to the present. They explain when the bridge "changed careers ", from transportation (part of the Pennsylvania Highway Transportation Network) to history (transformation through restoration and preservation into an historic landmark). It will also detail how the bridge has been witness to, and has

The Newtown side of the bridge portal just prior to restoration in 1996 (Left) . Source: Bartram Bridge Joint Preservation Board. After restoration in 1996 (Right). Photo: George Conn

endured and survived many events: Civil War political graffiti (the slogan "Lincoln - Save Union and Congress” is said to have been placed prominently in flowing letters on an interior arch of the bridge), vandalism, deterioration, decay, flood, blizzards, modern-day graffiti and carvings. It also adds an intriguing mystery - the interior graffiti carving of the words "John Boyer Was Killed Here", said to have been carved into the bridge in the late 1800s - murder on the bridge? It also has been the place of romance and marriage proposals. This section also presents an important lesson in democracy: how public citizens and local and state government can combine and mobilize with volunteer efforts and funds to preserve a landmark such as the Bartram Covered Bridge.

Near the end of the book there are a collection of rare archival photos, color photos and artwork of the bridge.

Included in the last section of the book are favorite memories of the Bridge provided by current and former residents, explaining how this historic small piece of land affected each of them. Romance, marriage proposals, fishing with the grandson, quiet reflections, they all appear in this section.

Bartram Covered Bridge is located in a small, quiet 1.3 acre park-like setting in southeastern Pennsylvania, about 15 miles west of Philadelphia, on Goshen Road at its intersection with Boot Road in Newtown Square, PA. The bridge spans Crum Creek between Newtown Township, in Delaware County and Willistown Township, in Chester County. Besides the historical aspects of the bridge structure, the surroundings offer quiet tranquility, park benches, a tall tree canopy, and access to Crum Creek. It is a favorite spot for families to wade in the creek in the summer, for fishermen to angle for trout or other fish, and for painters and photographers to capture beautiful images of the bridge and its surroundings.

Map of Newtown Square showing location of Bartram Covered Bridge at Goshen and Boot Road intersection. Willistown Township in Chester County is located to the west (left side) and Newtown Township in Delaware County is located to the east (right side). Source: Adapted from Microsoft Bing Maps, 2010.