Crowned Pennsylvania's most historic bridge in 1938 by the highway department, the Sachs Covered Bridge may also be the state's most visited bridge. Just a few miles from Gettysburg Military Park, the Sachs (Sauck's) Covered Bridge was built in 1852 under the direction of David Stoner. Spanning Marsh Creek, the bridge saw plenty of activity in July, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. Crossed by two brigades of the Union soldiers before the battle, the bridge also aided the retreating Confederate troops of Robert E. Lee.
   Following a lattice truss design developed by famed bridge builder Ithiel Town, the 100 foot span carried traffic until 1968. As recently as the 1930s, there were nearly 900 covered bridges in Pennsylvania. At that time Adams County boasted 24 historic covered bridges. Today, the Sachs Bridge is just one of three remaining bridges in the county. A rare survivor of 1996 flood, the bridge was retrieved from where it had washed downstream and returned to its new supports. Hard to imagine, ninety percent of the twisted wreckage was salvaged with its original lattice trusses intact.
   Because of its reputation as a Confederate gallows, superstitious bridge visitors claimed to have encountered ghostly apparitions, felt cold spots on the bridge, smelled General Lee's pipe smoke and witnessed specters dressed in Confederate uniforms. Of course, in this daylight scene, no respectable ghost would appear. For ghost hunters, it's best to wait until dark here on Waterworks Road for a memorable meeting with the mysterious dead.

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