I love old maps, and here’s a great one from Gerald S. Lestz’s A Child’s Guide to Lancaster County drawn by John Jarvis.
Published in 1978, this map shows the “Covered Bridges of Lancaster County.” The caption reads:
“The best way to learn about Lancaster County’s covered bridges is to purchase the booklet by E. Gipe Caruthers.
They can be visited by car, but much more exciting is to visit them by canoe. You will find six on the Pequea, five on the Conestoga, and five on Big Chickies.
There were once 120 covered bridges in the County. Now there are only 34: all but one of these are shown on this map. We must appreciate those that have survived, or they will disappear as well.”
Unfortunately, 43 years later, Lancaster County has five fewer. We need to heed Lestz’s words, or the remaining 29 “will disappear as well.”
John Jarvis’ Prints for Sale
If you want to get your hands on a piece of John Jarvis’ artwork, the Historic Preservation of Lancaster County has 26″ x 20″ prints of The Pequea Valley poster for sale for the low price of $25, including shipping on their website.
You can learn more about the Pequea Valley when you click here.
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