Zook's Mill Bridge
Zook's Mill Bridge, one of the older bridges in Lancaster County, is also one of its most durable -- if we can believe the report that there was no need for major repairs between its building in 1849 and 1972. The year 1972 was, of course, the year of Hurricane Agnes, and that year water filled the bridge to a depth of six-and-a-half feet, as the water level sign, shown right, shows. Even so, Zook's Mill withstood this torrent that swept away so many of Lancaster County's covered bridges.
After the damage that resulted from the flood, some rotting timbers were replaced, and the old horizontal clapboard siding was replaced with the new vertical board and batten siding. It may have been less the construction of the bridge that saved it from the flood than its location, at a broad, flat spot in the valley of Cocalico Creek that also gives it a particular pleasant vista, enjoyed by fishermen as well as bridgers and the local populace. To the right we see a contented local resident of the four-hoofed persuasion -- a goat who seemed to expect that we would have a snack for him. Below is the scenic view fishermen might enjoy from the flat bank southwest of the bridge.
To the Driving Tour