Paradise Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Leaman Place Bridge (1893)

Pequea #4

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2018

1. Leaman Place Bridge (1893) Marker

Inscription. Prior to the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad only Henry Leaman's small farmhouse stood near here. In 1835, Mr. Leaman built a hotel and soon after a railroad station was established. A small village gradually sprung up and by the 1880s “Leaman Place” consisted of about a dozen houses, a telegraph office, and a common school. In 1845 inhabitants of Paradise and Leacock petitioned for a bridge “where the public highway leading from the Philadelphia & Columbia railroad to New Holland crosses said creek, at Eckert's Mill…” James C. Carpenter built the first bridge here in 1845 for $983.00. A half century later this bridge was reported unsafe, frequently overflowed, and was dangerous for public travel. Elias McMellen rebuilt the worn bridge in 1893 for $2,431.00. This bridge was also known as Eshleman's Mill Bridge after the Eshleman family that operated mills adjacent to here. Milton B. Eshleman ran a large three story mill near this bridge in the 1870s once known as Evergreen Mills.

Lancaster County Commissioners: Chairman Dennis P. Stuckey, Vice Chair Joshua G. Parsons, Commissioner Craig E. Lehman
Bridge records courtesy of the Lancaster County Archives.
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Covered Bridges series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 40° 0.719′ N, 76° 6.467′ W. Marker is near Paradise, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County. It is in Paradise Township. Marker is on North Belmont Road, 0.1 miles north of Queen Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located along the east side of the highway on the south side of the covered bridge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 345 North Belmont Road, Paradise PA 17562, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Settlement (approx. half a mile away); Leaman Place (approx. ¾ mile away); Intercourse (approx. 1.9 miles away); Soudersburg Methodist Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); Kinzer (approx. 2.2 miles away); Leacock Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.3 miles away); Original Head Race & Water Turbine (approx. 2.8 miles away); History of Railroad Pump Cars (approx. 3.4 miles away).

More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted horizontally on waist-high posts.

Regarding Leaman Place Bridge (1893).

Marker detail: In 1845 inhabitants of Paradise and Leacock petitioned for a bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Lancaster Examiner & Herald; August 20, 1845

2. Marker detail: In 1845 inhabitants of Paradise and Leacock petitioned for a bridge

To Bridge Builders
Sealed proposals for building a bridge across Pequea creek, at or near G.L. Eckert’s Mill, in Paradise township, will be received at the Commissioners Office, in Lancaster until two o’clock on the first day of September next.
The plan and Specifications can be seen at the above Office until the time of letting. Frederick Hipple,
Martin Miller,
John Varns,
Commissioners
August 20, 1845.

Official designation is the Pequea #4 Bridge. The bridge is also known as Eshelman's Mill Covered Bridge and Paradise Bridge. National Register of Historic Places (1980)

Also see . . . Leaman's Place Covered Bridge. 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. (Submitted on August 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Leaman Place Bridge (1893) Marker (<i>wide view; bridge in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2018

3. Leaman Place Bridge (1893) Marker (wide view; bridge in background)

Leaman Place Bridge (<i>interior</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2018

4. Leaman Place Bridge (interior)

Leaman Place Bridge (<i>side view; Pequea Creek below</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2018

5. Leaman Place Bridge (side view; Pequea Creek below)

Leaman Place Bridge (<i>south side; with local traffic</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2018

6. Leaman Place Bridge (south side; with local traffic)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 529 times since then and 65 times this year. Last updated on December 13, 2020, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 29, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.