Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Updated: February 3, 2022

General Information about the different pages on this web site:

Pages on this web site contains information and pictures of Irwinton Mill (aka Anderson Mill), the nearby Hays Fording Double Arch Stone Bridge, the Witherspoon "Red" Covered Bridge, working model of a northern grist mill and a working model of a southern grist mill. Web Site also contain information about the Irwinton Historic District and the Hays Bridge Historic District taken with permission from two National Register of Historic Places Registration Forms. Information on these pages is generally about an area on or near Anderson Road and the Conococheague Creek in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

Witherspoon "Red" Covered Bridge:

The bridge is located on the Anderson Road in Montgomery Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The Anderson Road is located between Pennsylvania Routes 16 and 416 and is approximately ten miles west of the Interstate 81 Exit 5 in Greencastle, Pennsylvania.

The Witherspoon "Red" Covered Bridge spans over the Licking Creek, near Hays Fording, where it flows into the West Branch of the Conococheague Creek. It was built in 1883. The length is eighty-seven feet; width fourteen feet; and wing walls forty-five feet. It was built using the Burr Truss in 1883 by S. Stouffer. It is the only covered bridge in use today in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

The Licking Creek referenced in the "Looking Backward" sketch starts on top of the "Cross Mountain" beyond the Punch Bowl in the "Corner" and winds it way eastward until it empties into the Conococheague Creek a short distance after it passes under the Witherspoon's "Red" Covered Bridge. The Licking Creek is approximately 16 miles long as the crow flies from start to the Conococheague Creek. A small stream west of the old Anderson homestead in the Corner starts on the North mountain. The stream passes between the Anderson house and barn and in earlier years was used to feed the Anderson pond in the meadow. The stream continues winding its way eastward about 1 mile where it empties into the Licking Creek. As the Licking Creek continues eastward the Blue Spring Creek also empties into the Licking Creek. The waters from both the Licking and Conococheague creeks are used to power the two turbines at the Irwinton/Anderson Grist Mill a short distance down stream.

Following is from Elizabeth Wolff's sketch "Looking Backward":

Licking Creek is the largest stream flowing through the "Corner" in Montgomery Twp. It has its source in the mountain springs in the Corner. As we follow this stream we find much of interest. Emerging as a small stream, it widens and gains momentum as it flows through wooded section, meadow, and farm until it finally flows under the fastly disappearing covered bridge spanning the stream were it flows into the West branch of the Conococheague Creek, near Irwinton Mills, now belonging to Chester Anderson. In the early Spring a traveler may see along Licking Creek the beauty of the red bud and dogwood trees, also shad bush with its lace like flowers, which later on forms into a red berry, which is edible, called the June berry. Wild flowers, too, flourish along banks of Licking Creek. Dutchman's breeches, trout-lily, blood root, Johnny Jump Ups, Sweet myrrh and the sweet scented phlox. Although Licking Creek is but a small creek, in the rainy season it overflows its banks and roads and sometimes causes considerable damage. In the flood of 1889 Licking Creek became a raging torrent covering fields and roads and people living near the stream were compelled to find higher ground, for as long as the stream was high.