White Rock Forge 1847
The 1847 White Rock Forge Covered Bridge or White Rock Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the West Branch of Octoraro Creek in southeast Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the West Octoraro #2 Bridge.
White Rock Forge Bridge was built in 1847, but the original was destroyed and rebuilt in 1884. The wooden burr bridge crosses the West Branch of the Octoraro Creek. It is 110 feet long and 13 feet wide.
Originally built by John Russell in 1847 (cost not known). Rebuilt by Elias McMellen in 1884 for $2,167. It is the county’s second oldest covered bridge still open to traffic.
The bridge has a single-span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. The deck is made from oak planks. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County Covered Bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color.
Length: 103 feet span and 110 feet total length
Width: 13 feet clear deck and 15 feet total width
Overhead clearance: 12 feet
Under-clearance: 13 feet
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980
Located at: N39 49.483 W76 05.400 - WGCB #38-36-18
Photographed in July of 2019.