newyork.news.070930

Spanning New York State
Covered Bridge News

By Bob and Trish Kane

Buskirk Bridge - NY-42-01/58-04

      August 4th could not have been a more perfect day for a Covered Bridge celebration! The weather was just gorgeous and the Advisory Committee of Washington County, NY, did a superb job with the celebration. We think it fair to say that everyone in attendance had a great time. Seeing the Buskirk, Eagleville and Rexleigh bridges in pristine condition was truly an impressive sight. The celebration concluded at the Historic Salem Courthouse, just a few miles from the Rexleigh Covered Bridge with refreshments, door prizes, and the opportunity to purchase many covered bridge items.

Eagleville - NY-58-01

      One of the burning questions for the day was just why the bridges were painted red, and not the same color they were before the restoration. We asked this question of Willy Grimmke, Superintendent of Public Works for Washington County. He told us that paint scrapings had been done on the bridges and red paint was discovered within the layers which indicated the bridges had, at one time, been painted red. This must have been some time ago as many of the more senior folks in attendance did not remember ever seeing these bridges red. We asked this question of our friend, Rick Allen, and he also remarked that he had never known the bridges to be red. Washington County folks just may have uncovered some significant historical information on the history of their bridges. However, no matter what the color, they sure look impressive and everyone involved should be commended for all their hard efforts in restoring these bridges.

Rexleigh - NY-58-03

      If anyone is interested in purchasing one of the lovely t-shirts they had on sale the day of the event, you may do so by contacting the Shushan Covered Bridge, PO Box 182, Shushan, NY 12873; Trip's, 72 Red Gate Lane, Shushan, NY 12873, phone 518-854-3335; or by calling David McNitt at 518-854-7220.

Late Breaking News . . . well, folks…you won't believe this but less than two months after the aforementioned celebration, the Washington County side of the Buskirk Covered Bridge was damaged! Fortunately, Frank Ziehm, owner of the truck company that caused the damage reported it to the Sheriff and his insurance will cover the costs of the repairs. We sure hope this doesn't mean that they will have to install headache bars. It would be so unattractive to such a beautiful bridge.

Buskirk Bridge Photos by Sally Smith Shushan, NY September 18, 2007

Beaverkill Covered Bridge – NY-53-02 As some of you may be aware, Sullivan County, NY has three historic covered bridges eligible for listing on the State and National Register of Historic Places. Being included on these prestigious lists is truly an honor and provides some level of protection for our bridges.

We are pleased to report that the NY State Review Board has listed the Beaverkill Covered Bridge on the State Register of Historic Places. They will now forward the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, DC. If approved, the property will also be listed on the National Register.

It has been our experience working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that if a bridge is accepted on the state level, if will more than likely be accepted at the National level as well.

This is great news not only for the Beaverkill Covered Bridge, but for all of us working so diligently to preserve our bridges. The Friends of the Beaverkill group should be commended for their dedication and determined efforts as we know this been a long time coming. Congratulations to each of them on this successful endeavor.

News Clippings . . .

Bucks County, PA – Knecht's Covered Bridge (PA-09-02) As we reported in our last column, there was an unsuccessful arson attempt on the Knecht's Covered Bridge. The five young arsonists responsible for this act appeared at a hearing on Tuesday, September 4th in the District Court in Quakertown, PA. Hector Ross, the 17 year old, who was a former volunteer fireman, has pleaded guilty and his sentencing date is October 19, 2007. His case was handled separately because he is a juvenile. The trial date for the other four adults, Tomas Markley, 19, Felicia M. Piepszowski, 19, and Matthew Tearney, 18 (also a former volunteer fireman), is scheduled for November 13, 2007. Randy Malady, 18, waived his hearing prior to this date. The District Attorney believes that it is likely that they will plead guilty as well due to the overwhelming evidence in the case. Markley, Tearney, Piepszowski and Malady are all in county prison under $50,000 bail each. If convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison on each arson felony charge. It is unclear just how much time, if any, they will actually serve in the end.

In the wake of the Knecht's fire, Upper Bucks State Rep. Paul Clymer introduced a bill that would make it a second-degree felony to deliberately set fire or set off an explosion that damages or destroys a historic property, such as a covered bridge. If convicted, this person would serve at least one year in prison. A historic property is a structure that is either more than a century old or listed on the state or national registers of historic places.

In 2004, the Mood's Covered Bridge, PA-09-07 was damaged by arson. Six Pennridge men, ages 20 to 21, were sentenced to 18 days to 23 months in the county prison. They spent 18 days there, are facing five years of probation and have been ordered to do 1,000 hours of community service. Each must also pay $66,666, representing their share of the $400,000 in restitution. As a result of these arson attempts, a group of dedicated covered bridge folks are forming The Bucks County Covered Bridge Association to actively work on the preservation of Bucks County's Covered Bridges.

Saucks's Covered Bridge – PA-01-01 Vandals are at it again! It was recently discovered that the historic Sachs Covered Bridge in Adams County, PA has some damage to some of the boards. Some newly added graffiti includes a Magic Cross, which is a Celtic cross laying on top of a pentagram. A Magic Cross is used by a variety of Gothic groups. The Sachs Bridge was built in 1852 and extends 100 feet across Marsh Creek. Union and Confederate troops used this bridge in 1863 to enter Gettysburg for the famous battle. Those of you who have visited this bridge know what a beautiful, historic bridge it is. It is such a shame to see it vandalized.

Covered Bridge Postcard Show – We have had a good response to the Covered Bridge Postcard show, but in order to more forward with it, we feel we need a couple more folks willing to set up a table and sell their duplicate postcards. As we mentioned, Wayne Siefert, organizer of the Bucks County Covered Bridge Festival has extended a warm invitation to us to be part of their festival. Exact date is still unknown. He has offered us a beautiful space along with plenty of tables. Since our announcement in the last newsletter, we have been asked if we would be willing to include covered bridge patches in the show, and the answer is yes! But, we need to hear from you. So, if you have duplicate covered bridge postcards or patches you would like to offer to other covered bridge collectors, (who are no doubt tired of paying the exorbitant prices on eBay) please contact us soon.

Bits and Pieces . . . Do you have a covered bridge for sale? We recently received this email from Tommy and Rosemary Morgeson from Midlothian, in Ellis County Texas. We are looking for a bridge to buy. We had a 40 year old, 9 ft x 30 ft culvert that was recently washed out in flood waters which took out the road to our home. We have been advised to construct a bridge in its place and are looking for something about 10 feet wide by 40-50 feet long. If you have any information that would help these folks, please contact them at 972-775-4863 or through email at:
tmorgeson50@sbcglobal.net.

Many of you are already thinking about Christmas and we just wanted to remind you that a membership to any of the various covered bridge organizations make wonderful gifts. No doubt with the increase in postage this summer, many organizations will be forced to increase their membership fees, so renew your own membership now and consider a membership to those on your Christmas list.

Also, for those of you who like to wrap your Christmas gifts in covered bridge wrapping paper, the recent Current Catalog has just what you are looking for. If you don't receive the catalog, you can visit their website at www.CurrentCatalog.com. The item is called Jumbo Wonderland Scene and the catalog number is 086136. It is really lovely paper.

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