Colvin or Shilier Covered Bridge 38-05-24 Bedford County Pa

Colvin or Shilier Covered Bridge
WGCB 38-05-24
Schellsburg, Bedford County, Pa

Colvin Covered Bridge 38-05-24 Bedford County Pa

Colvin, also known as Calvin or Shilier covered bridge
crosses Shawnee Creek southwest of Schellsburg in
Napier township, Bedford county Pa. It was built in
1880 by J.H. Thompson, and rebuilt in 1998 By Kee Ta
Quay Construction under direction of Joseph Lehman
Engineering.

This bridge is totally unique, as it's truss design defies
catagorization. To my knowledge, no other like it exists
anywhere. It has open sides with short vertical plank
siding and sloping cap boards to protect the joinery in
the bottom of the truss. It is an 8 panel multiple
kingpost truss, very short in height, only 8' between
the cords, with the kingposts extending above the
upper cord to support the roof. The kingposts are
canted at 24 degrees outward from the center in much
the manner of jack arches used in brick construction to
span window & door openings, and in viewing the truss
from the side the two center panels create the shape of
a keystone. The bridge is 74' long with a clear span of
66 feet, 12' roadwidth, and a clearance of 11' 6". Its
structure is in excelent condition, but somehow trucks
keep getting past the headache bars and breaking off
the diagonal cross beam braces.

This portrait is Jackies first, and it represents the
bridge as it was originaly built

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