Knox Covered Bridge

The Knox Covered Bridge spans Valley Creek and connects Yellow Springs Road and Route 252

NPS Photo/G. Purifoy

Quick Facts

Location:

Intersection of Yellow Springs Road and Rte 252/Valley Creek Road

Significance:

19th-Century Covered Bridge

MANAGED BY:

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)

Amenities

1 listed

Cellular Signal

An Iconic Feature of the Landscape

The Knox Covered Bridge is a beloved scenic feature for many visitors to Valley Forge National Historical Park. The first covered bridge across Valley Creek was built in 1851; it was rebuilt in 1865 after being washed away in a flood. Measuring 10 feet wide and 65 feet long, the bridge connects Yellow Spring Road and Route 252. This picturesque bridge is owned and maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

A Connection to the Past

For many years the bridge was known as the Valley Forge Dam Bridge. In the 19th century there were a number of factories and mills along the Valley Creek with a dam near what is now Route 23 providing water power for their operation.

Today the bridge is usually identified as the Knox Covered Bridge – though there is some disagreement over from which Knox its name is taken: Senator Philander Chase Knox or General Henry Knox. It seems more likely that it takes its name from the former. In 1903 he purchased 256 acres of land adjacent to the bridge and moved into the old farmhouse to the west of the bridge that had been the quarters of General William Maxwell during the Encampment at Valley Forge. Today the house is known as the Philander Chase Knox Estate. He was an attorney and prominent in the Republican Party in the early years of the 20th century, serving as Attorney General under President Theodore Roosevelt and as the Secretary of State in the cabinet of President William Howard Taft. He also served two terms as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania.