When he heard that a large hemlock tree fell on the roof of a historic covered bridge in McConnells Mill State Park on March 5, New Castle resident Tom Walczak immediately went to assess the damage.

	The historic McConnells Mill State Park covered bridge before, top photo, after a tree fell on it ...
	... and after the tree was removed. Photos at top courtesy of Tom Walczak. Bottom photo by Bob Donaldson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Click photos to see larger versions.

As president of the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania, Walczak has a keen interest in seeing that the Lawrence County landmark be restored to its former glory.

"[Rebuilding the bridge] is very important," said Walczak. "We're always trying to do whatever we can to preserve Pennsylvania's bridges or interest other people in preserving them. Pennsylvania has the most covered bridges of any state, and we want to make sure they'll be around for future generations to enjoy. They're very valuable tourist attractions."

With more than 500 members nationwide, Walczak acknowledged that the group's treasury is modest, but he's contacted Lawrence County commissioners to see if the group can help.

"We could make a contribution of about $1,000," he said.

It cost more than that -- $1,700 -- to remove the tree from the county-owned bridge last week. And one estimate places the repair cost at more than $100,000.

"Just getting the equipment [to remove the tree] was extremely difficult, and getting the equipment into that gorge was no picnic, either," said county Commissioner Steve Craig. "It's a terrible thing, but we were lucky that the bridge is supported by two large beams beneath the wooden structure."

Craig said that about 40 years ago, engineers added two concrete beams under the bridge. The western end of the bridge was destroyed by the tree, but the beams kept it from falling into Slippery Rock Creek.

Built in 1874, with 91 feet of clear span, the covered bridge had a 12-ton weight limit and was rebuilt in 1998. Located next to the area's famous 19th-century gristmill, it is one of the park's main attractions.

"Even when I went down to see it on Sunday, the roads were closed and it was pouring rain, but the park was crawling with people," Craig noted. "It's always a busy place."

County Solicitor John Hodge is trying to determine whether the damage is covered by insurance. Because the bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the accident may be declared an emergency, which would expedite repairs.

Craig said fixing it will be a priority.

"If it's covered [by insurance] or not, we'll replace it and do it in a historically sensitive manner," he said. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure that it's repaired as quickly as possible."

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