Two covered bridges pull out of 48th annual festival
Gideon Bradshaw/Observer-Reporter
The Hughes Covered Bridge in Amwell Township won’t be part of this weekend’s Covered Bridge Festival because of recent heavy rains.
The White Bridge in Greene County
Flood waters have risen near the White Bridge in Greene County.
Gideon Bradshaw/Observer-Reporter
Standing water in the fields surrounding Hughes Bridge in Amwell Township is causing officials to cancel participation in this year’s Covered Bridge Festival.
Two locations are out of the lineup for Washington and Greene Counties Covered Bridge Festival as Southwestern Pennsylvania reels from weekend flooding and eyes a hurricane whose remnants could sweep the region less than a week later.
Amwell Township – which owns 129-year-old Hughes Covered Bridge across Ten Mile Creek – and White Covered Bridge Association in Greene County said Tuesday they were nixing their respective plans for the festival.
So far, those are the only two of 10 festival sites where events for the 48-year old festival, which will be held Saturday and Sunday, were canceled.
The privately owned land around Hughes bridge is close to the creek level, and water was still pooled in the field Tuesday, a day after rains subsided. Remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon brought heavy rain the previous weekend, including the second-highest daily rainfall on record Sunday.
“People would drive down there, and they’d get stuck, and the mud would be flying, and it’s not our land,” Amwell secretary Kathy Wall said.
Wall said the last time township officials took that step was after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Ivan dumped historic rains and widespread havoc on the Pittsburgh region.
Wall also pointed to Hurricane Florence possibly reaching the region as she discussed township supervisors’ decision to call off the plans. Forecasters predict Florence’s remnants could make their way to the Pittsburgh region in the days after it is expected to make landfall Thursday in the Carolinas.
The Amwell Township Historical Society still plans to have the log cabin in Amity open Sunday afternoon. The log house across the road will be open for tours.
The White Covered Bridge Association, which hosts festival events at the 99-year-old span across Whiteley Creek in Greene County, likewise decided to cancel for the first time since Ivan because of flooding on the festival grounds.
“The flooding’s just too bad and when it does recede the ground is just going to be too soft to put anything on the festival grounds,” said JoAnne Marshall, director of Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency.
The festival is sponsored by both counties’ tourism agencies. Events are still planned for eight other bridges.
Jeff Kotula, president of Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, didn’t return a message Tuesday.
Mingo Creek County Park is home to Ebenezer Covered Bridge – where Kotula’s organization plans to hold festival events – and Henry Covered Bridge, where Mental Health Association is hosting its own program.
“Everything at this point is going to be weather-dependent,” said Lisa Cessna, Washington County director of planning.
She said the creek spilled over its banks, but caused no damage. It did leave the ground water-logged in some places.
“The park’s cleaned up really well,” she said. “The staff’s worked really hard.”
Cessna planned to to meet with members of the county tourism agency in the park this morning to see if they can move some locations for vendors and parking.
“We’re moving forward right now with the intention of having the festival,” she said.