Historic South Perkasie Covered Bridge Damage Update

When I decided to get back into Motorcycles, I quickly discovered that one of the things I enjoyed immensely was to ride out and visit Local Historic Covered Bridges. Taking in the sights and sounds of these old wooden giants is quite serene and makes for an excellent stop when it is time to stretch your legs.

One of the very first Historic Covered Bridges I visited on my 2018 Honda CB65F was the South Perkasie Covered Bridge in Bucks County. When I arrived, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Rather than spanning a creek it instead resided in a field. A placard inside the bridge explained its history.

Originally built in 1832, the bridge was in need of updates by 1958. Rather than modify the bridge to carry modern traffic, Bucks County Officials instead thought it best to relocate the bridge to Lenape Park. Here it could be preserved and treated like an Outdoor Museum, of sorts. The entire community came together for the project and a variety of photos can be seen on the placard inside.

In September of 2021, Hurricane Ida passed over Pennsylvania and caused severe damage to the Philadelphia area. Massive rainfall lead to nearly three-feet of water submerging Lenape Park – enough to raise the South Perkasie Covered Bridge and push it off it its foundation. The bridge came to rest some fifteen-feet from its original location and take major damage.

Since then, the Perkasie Borough has held a fundraising event and brought in $209,000.00 for use in repairing the South Perkasie Covered Bridge. The Bridge has been stabilized but repairs have yet to be made. Given the nature of Historic Covered Bridges, qualified outfits to complete the repairs are few and far between. While there is no completion date listed on the South Perkasie Covered Bridge Project Website, I am looking forward to seeing it returned to its former glory.