Many of Chester County’s historic covered bridges date back as far as 1850 and are the perfect reason to hop in the car and go for a long fall drive, writes Brian Bingaman for the Daily Local News.

Covered bridges have all wood trusses, sides, and roofs, creating a near complete enclosure across the water to protect from the elements. Covered bridges were constructed throughout the 19th century, with the first one in the U.S. built in Philadelphia.

Once, there were as many as 12,000 covered bridges nationwide, but now there are fewer than 1,500. Out of those, 219 are in Pennsylvania with 14 in Chester County.

The Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau offers a map of all the covered bridges in the county, along with descriptions of their different characteristics.

For example, Pine Grove Bridge in Oxford was constructed in 1884, after the two previous ones were destroyed by the weather. It was a landmark on the primary route between New York and Washington, D.C., and is the longest covered bridge in Chester County.

Bartram Bridge in Newtown Square was built in 1860 and restored in 1970. It stands out due to its slanted plank portals.

Read more about Chester County’s historic covered bridges in the Daily Local News here.

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