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Ralston or Freeman, Washington County

If you find errors in the data please contact Bill Caswell.

If you would like to provide information on covered bridges that no longer exist from your state, or adopt a state to work on, we would certainly welcome your assistance. Please contact Trish Kane for more information.

Inventory Number: PA/38-63-27
County: Washington County
Township: Hanover
Town/Village:
Bridge Name: Ralston or Freeman
Crosses: Aunt Clara's Fork, King's Creek
Truss type: King
Spans: 1
Length: 36' overall, 28' span
Roadway Width: 12'
Built: 1915
Builder:
When Lost: standing
Cause:
Latitude: N40 26.821
Longitude: W080 30.426
See a map of the area
Topographic map of the area
Directions: 0.3 miles east of WV State line on Steubenville Pike, then 3.6 miles left on Devils Den Rd. (TR346) and 0.5 miles left on Ralston Rd. Park, ask permission then walk 370 feet west on gated road. 3 miles north of Paris.

Ralston or Freeman Bridge, Hanover, Washington County, PA. Built 1915
Tom and Linda Burns Photo, January 11, 1986

Comments:
This bridge is on private property and being maintained by the owner. It is posted “No Trespassing” because trouble the owner has had with “partying” visitors. Like many Washington County Bridges, this one has vertical siding painted red inside and out with an opening at the eaves. There are two rectangular windows on each side near the portals. In Penn Pilot aerial photography dated to May 3, 1939, the road and bridge were still opened. Close to the present dead end, the road turned left (west) about 360' straight to the bridge, which is oriented nearly east to west. It crossed and then continued to the northwest. The road is now abandoned.

Sources:
Evans, Benjamin D. & June R.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges, 2001, page 289
Travis, Dale. Pennsylvania Covered Bridges List, updated to 26 Aug 2004, http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbpa.htm (23 Sep 2004)
Moll, Fred J.. Pennsylvania's Covered Bridges - Our Heritage, 2004, pages 134-135
Kipphorn, Thomas. Information received by email, May 2008
National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. World Guide to Covered Bridges, 2021, page 134