Every day on his drive to and from work at the Strasburg Railroad, Nathaniel C. Guest passes the Herr's Mill covered bridge, and every day it seems a little more dilapidated.

Its red painted walls have dulled, its tin roof is rusted and, in places, flaps noisily in the wind, as it sits forlornly along South Ronks Road.

"I've been watching this bridge year after year, just sort of hanging on," Guest said. "A structure like this can hang on for a long time without a lot of tender loving care, but ultimately, just like us, it's going to need some attention."

That time is now, and Guest, who lives in Montgomery County, along with West Lampeter Township resident Stephanie A. Smith, want to rally folks to its aid.

The two hope to gather backing —both financial and professional — to make the bridge, which crosses the Pequea Creek, a Lancaster County gem.

So far they have obtained support from Preservation Pennsylvania, the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"This bridge is the first stop on their covered bridge tour," Guest said.

They also have two unnamed corporate sponsors who are willing to help preserve the bridge.

Guest and Smith envision the bridge as a "tunnel to Lancaster County history and craftsmanship." The outside could be used to promote, "in an historically sensitive fashion," Guest said, the bridge's major benefactors, while inside, painted panels would reflect Lancaster County history and culture.

Each panel would be sponsored by local attractions. Guest said he already has spoken to the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, which might be willing to allow students to help create the panels.

Some Amish buggy-ride operators have agreed to run their tourist-laden buggies through the completed bridge, Guest said. Once inside, riders can view the panels "and read about county history and see what other attractions they might want to visit later."

At night, the bridge would be illuminated.

Before any of that is done, however, the bridge must be stabilized and, possibly, moved to another location.

Guest said he spoke with bridge-owner Brian Kopan, who also owns the adjacent Mill Bridge Campsite Resort. Kopan, Guest said, has no plans for the structure and is "willing to give the bridge to any nonprofit that is willing to care for it," either where it is or at a new location.

If it remains where it is, which is what Guest would prefer, the bridge will have to be raised "two or three feet" to be level with the adjacent Ronks Road bridge.

Pequea Creek has a history of flooding, Guest said, and the lower covered bridge causes water to back up, affecting the campground.

The cost of raising the bridge would be about $50,000. The total price of the entire project is unknown, depending on donations of materials and labor.

The original bridge, built in 1844 by descendants of Hans Herr at a cost of $1,787, evidently was destroyed. The existing span was built in 1875 for $1,860 and repaired in 1955 after Hurricane Hazel blew off its roof.

The wind dropped the roof, intact, directly across the creek, creating a second span across the Pequea. Amish children, it was reported, used the roof as a foot bridge on their way back and forth to school.

The current bridge was renovated in 1972 and again in 1978. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Herr's Mill Bridge is the county's longest covered bridge, crossing both  Pequea Creek and the mill race that once drove the waterwheel that turned the mill's grindstones. It is the only double-span covered bridge in the county and one of very few anywhere in the country.

"The fact that this bridge has lasted this long, given all the trials and tribulations it has been through — we're really quite lucky to have it," Guest said.

Smith, who works in farmland preservation, said, "Lancaster County really has great, historic resources that have been well taken care of. But this is something you definitely don't want to lose."

Anyone wishing to get involved in helping to save the bridge or who wants to make a donation can contact Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County at 291-5861.
lalexander@lnpnews.com