Pennsylvania’s Longest Covered Bridge

Totaling a length of 278 feet across, the historic Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge is the longest covered bridge left in Pennsylvania. It crosses the Tuscarora Creek between Spruce Hill and Beale Townships, and is just one mile east of the Tuscarora Academy Museum.

The need for a bridge spanning Tuscarora Creek goes back so far that there aren’t even any records of when the first one was built. There are records from 1901, however, of ice jams and flood waters destroying the one that predated the Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge. Losing the bridge connecting Spruce Hill and Beale Township was devastating for residents, many of whom lost the ability to attend their usual church services in Academia.

Due to the small size and limited resources of both towns, Juniata County stepped up and funded the construction of a new bridge. In 1902, James N. Groninger, a Juniata County native, was selected to build the Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge. He built the single-lane, double-span wooden bridge with a Burr truss design—the most popular design for covered bridges at the time.

The bridge was used in the Pennsylvania Highway system from 1903 until 1962. After shutting down in 1962, a new bridge was underway, and the Pomeroy-Academia Covered Bridge was slated for demolition. Just in time, however, the Juniata County Historical Society stepped in and saved the covered bridge. It’s been under the Historical Society’s ownership ever since.

The covered bridge stayed in relatively good shape for an entire century, making it a testament to the sturdy Burr truss design and craftsmanship of the builders. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

From 2001 until 2009, the Keystone Fund facilitated an eight-year long, $1.4 million restoration project. Structures of the bridge were restored to their former glory, and a small park with benches and informative historical plaques was built nearby.

Today, the bridge is still closed to vehicular traffic, but is open to foot traffic from sunrise to sunset. Pedestrians are invited to stroll all 278 feet of the covered bridge, take photos of its beautiful design and surrounding nature, learn some local history from the plaques, and stop by the nearby park for a moment of contemplation. The Tuscarora Creek is also public, and canoers and kayakers exploring local waterways are welcome to paddle underneath the bridge.