MANASSES GUTH BRIDGE, photograph by Kimmy Van Kooten copyright 1999
Length: 108 ft.
Built: 1858
Height and weight limits:
9 ft. 6 in. – 4 tons
Owned by: Lehigh County, in Pennsylvania
This covered bridge crosses over the meandering Jordan Creek. The original bridge that was built in 1858 was partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1882. Local farmers and travelers forded the Jordan at this site prior to 1858.
The builder of the original structure is unknown. The bridge was named after Manasses Guth, who lived in the adjacent stone farmhouse and was a descendant of Lorentz Guth, the first settler in the area in 1745. The Manasses Guth Bridge, which is at the eastern edge of Covered Bridge Park, is built with the Burr arch truss design, has lengthwise planking and rests on stone and mortar abutments with long wing walls capped with concrete.
Many a day, my sister and I would ride our horses through the Lehigh Parkway, by way of a beautiful pine tree forest. The bridge served as a resting spot to dismount and wade through the creek or skip stones or just plain soak in the beauty surrounding.
A bridal path trails of pebble and grit, to the old colored red, over covered bridge
Time and season spanned, unbeknown weathered calls Singing sung echos, longing, wings walled, "Over the river and through woods"
A wayside seed burst forth, enlightened roods across Jordan Creek, cleared, of watered stone rapids, preludes
Whispering leaves mounted, saddled moods leaped Stilling photographs, e’er memories last A bridal path led, bridged horizons cast
Copyright 2007 Kimmy Van Kooten
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Reviews of "Manassses Guth Memories"
Reviewed by Chris Fitzgerald (Reader)
Reviewed on August 19, 2007
Those were the good old days....I spent many a day on that bridge by myself and thought... how did this grand bridge survive for so long? How I wish I could have lived in the time it was built! I certainly know that today it is still as beautiful as it was then. Thanks for the memory Kimmy! Beautiful poem.
Oh WOW Kimmy - your Daddy wrote you a review. I love it!
Sometimes I think that you mold your words into a poetic structure like a potter sitting at a wheel forms the clay. ie: "Singing sung echos, longing, wings walled," or the acoustical analysis of the same phrase ... si su e lo wi wa. Spoken aloud, it's somewhat mesmerizing.
You have a connection to a special creative place that most will never find - I truly respect that. Your family has got to be proud of you, I know I am.
Wonderful, Kimmy, as are those magnificent old covered bridges. I've been fortunate to have crossed a few myself from time to time. But as Joyce commented, far too many of them are now gone.
Great description and beautifully expressed! These kinds of memories and this kind of history would be soon forgotten without poets like you. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Reviewed by John Van Kooten (Reader)
Reviewed on July 16, 2007
DEAR KIM: YOU SURE BROUGHT OLD MEMORIES TO YOUR OLD DAD, I REMEMBER
HOW YOU AND THE GIRLS WOULD BRING THE HOURSES BACK HOME WHITE WITH
FOUM, YOU GUYS WOULD REALY RIDE THEM HARD. YOU ALL KNEW HOW TO TAKE
CARE OF THEM, BY WALKING THEM AND WASHING THEM DOWN AFTER A HARD
RIDE.
DO YOU REMEMBER JANIE AND HER NEW BABY, THE NEIGHBOR KIDS WOULD ALL
HANG ON THE FENCE TO SEE HER.
THE FARM WAS A GREAT PLACE FOR MOM AND I TO BRING UP 16 KIDS.
THANKS FOR THE GREAT MEMORIES. LOVE YOU DAD.
A beautiful photo and write my friend, you taken the reader on a peaceful trip down memory lane. I love the old covered bridges, not too many left today, the last one in our county was replaced many years ago, due to the increase of traffic on the road where it once proudly stood...now just another concrete bridge...a shame, they call it progress...give me the wooden covered ones and a simpler time! Enjoyed this wonderful write!
Blessings,
Joyce B.
A bridge between two different worlds.
One with the enchanted peace of candlelights and romanticisme, the other invading everything everywhere with concrete.
Yet, the old bridge is still there showing a little of that bygone world which seems to have been more worthy than that of todays.
Georg
From the author of Jupiter Remembered and Until It’s Time: Embracing Life In Our Later Years comes Petals of Love: Poetry of a Woman’s Soul – a heartfelt collection spanning more than thirty-five years. Through tender reflections, these poems offer g
The songs and art in this book are about our collective emergence after the pandemic and trauma of the last few years - comprised of 5 collections: World as Refuge, Where We Live, In Our Hands, Rhythms of Change and What We See & Sow.
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bill
Regis
this poetry is delightfully enchanting
Walt
Sometimes I think that you mold your words into a poetic structure like a potter sitting at a wheel forms the clay. ie: "Singing sung echos, longing, wings walled," or the acoustical analysis of the same phrase ... si su e lo wi wa. Spoken aloud, it's somewhat mesmerizing.
You have a connection to a special creative place that most will never find - I truly respect that. Your family has got to be proud of you, I know I am.
Blessings ...
Richard
Giddy yup..
First time I saw something like this...a unique bridge for sure!!
Love Tinka
Eileen
HOW YOU AND THE GIRLS WOULD BRING THE HOURSES BACK HOME WHITE WITH
FOUM, YOU GUYS WOULD REALY RIDE THEM HARD. YOU ALL KNEW HOW TO TAKE
CARE OF THEM, BY WALKING THEM AND WASHING THEM DOWN AFTER A HARD
RIDE.
DO YOU REMEMBER JANIE AND HER NEW BABY, THE NEIGHBOR KIDS WOULD ALL
HANG ON THE FENCE TO SEE HER.
THE FARM WAS A GREAT PLACE FOR MOM AND I TO BRING UP 16 KIDS.
THANKS FOR THE GREAT MEMORIES. LOVE YOU DAD.
Blessings,
Joyce B.
Fee
One with the enchanted peace of candlelights and romanticisme, the other invading everything everywhere with concrete.
Yet, the old bridge is still there showing a little of that bygone world which seems to have been more worthy than that of todays.
Georg