More than $15,000 worth of wood, paint, fire retardant, and elbow grease will be applied to Sachs Covered Bridge in early August, thanks to the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania. Theodore Burr (1771-1822) was an inventor who created the arch truss bridge design, familiarly known today as the Burr truss.
The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges contributed $5,000 for needed wood repairs; the PA chapter is providing the rest for the paint, the painters, and the fire retardant to cover the bridge’s interior. A transparent liquid, the fire retardant will be sprayed on the inside of the bridge, from floor to roof, and should last about 15 years. Since most covered bridge fires start on the inside of the bridge, this is an important step.
“On behalf of the community, we really appreciate you doing this,” said Commissioner Randy Phiel, who described the fall bridge scene as a postcard image.
“I am passionate about Sachs Bridge said Society president Robert Kuether. It has not been painted since 1996. The non-profit group was formed to promote interest and active participation in preserving and restoring the remaining 209 bridges in Pennsylvania. Each year, it sponsors a fall Covered Bridge Safari. This year it will take place in Vermont. For more information about the covered bridge society, contact http://tbcbspa.com/index.htm.
Also known as Sauk’s Covered Bridge, the 100-foot bridge over Marsh Creek was declared “Pennsylvania’s most historic covered bridge in 1938 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. On July 1, 1863, it was crossed by the Union Army heading towards Gettysburg and, four days later, was crossed by General Robert E. Lee’s retreating army after the Union victory.
Designed as a town truss-covered bridge, it consists of wooden beams crisscrossed to form a lattice. The cost to build it in 1854 was $1,544. A plan to replace the bridge in 1960 was rejected eight years later when Cumberland Township officials voted to close it to vehicular traffic. In 1996, it was severely damaged by flood waters and carried almost 100 yards downstream. It was repaired by the Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association for about $600,000 and rededicated the following year.
Open only to foot traffic since 1968, it is one of four covered bridges in Adams County and a favorite site for visitors, weddings, and the ghosts which are said to haunt it.
Broadband Task Force Update
The Adams County Broadband Task Force, charged with investigating the best ways to bring the internet to underserved and unserved areas of the county, issued a formal letter of support for Comcast’s application to the Capital Funds Broadband Infrastructure Project.
Commissioner Phiel said it would be the best way to move forward. Commissioner Martin agreed. “It’s very logical to give them this level of support. They already have a lot of infrastructure in place,” he said.
“Our broadband task force goal is that every house and every business have access to affordable high-speed internet,” said Marty Qually, ex-officio task force member. He added that the county received letters of application from three providers but that Comcast was chosen because of the number of county residents it already serves.
“The task force believes we should support one application,” Qually said later. “Instead of the county applying for funds, it makes more sense to partner with Comcast and help them with their application. The county will provide Comcast with the task force’s map and survey results to help with that process. “But,” cautioned Qually, “people have to be patient. This is an expensive infrastructure.”
Qually explained that the results will be made public once the task force has obtained and reviewed the Broadband feasibility study. “We anticipate receiving the study and completing our internal review this fall.”
Recently, the federal government provided Pennsylvania with $1.15 billion in funding for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan. The state seeks input from residents, businesses, and organizations to develop a five-year action plan that expands internet across the Commonwealth.
Qually said the task force and staff will review the plan to confirm that it prioritizes and addresses rural broadband challenges. The county task force has begun to develop its own broadband strategic plan and will ask for input from businesses and residents to assist in targeting broadband and other grant applications.
What exactly will county-wide access look like? Qually said that speeds of 25/3 megabits per second (Mbps) were once considered high-speed. However, new funding programs require speeds of 100/20 Mbps, allowing for more devices on a system at once and more data to be sent. He added that these speeds would allow someone at home to work remotely at the same time another person on the same system is attending remote classes.
A spokesperson for Comcast said, “We are continuously looking at opportunities to bring our state-of-the-art products and services to more consumers and businesses, including Adams County, for which this Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program application applies. While we are unable to comment on specific details or plans at this time, Comcast remains committed to serving unserved and underserved communities across our footprint.” Once the grant process is complete, more specific information may be forthcoming.
Featured image caption: Members of the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society present a check for applying paint and fire retardant to Sachs Covered Bridge.
Judith Cameron Seniura is a freelance reporter. She began her journalism career in the early ‘70s and has written for newspapers, magazines, and other media in Ontario, Canada, Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, San Antonio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.