Numerous bridges have occupied this site over the years, and although signs on the bridge indicate it could have been built as early as 1802, conflicting records leave the exact construction date in the 19th century unclear. King's Bridge was named for farmer John King, on whose land it was built. Spanning Laurel Hill Creek on the Clay Pike, it served a popular highway used by drovers moving herds and flocks from Turkeyfoot to Bedford. The bridge is supported by a burr type arch and was originally designed as a multiple kingpost truss that appears to have had arches retrofitted later. It has a rare lattice floor joist layout visible from the banks, and it is a single-span structure measuring 127 feet long, with a width of 12 feet 7 inches between the wood sidewalls and an outside width of 13 feet 5 inches across the board-and-batten walls. The King family took possession of the bridge in the 1930s, and it carried traffic until 1934, when a new highway and bridge bypassed it. From 1934 until 1998, the family maintained it privately at their own expense, and their desire to preserve it led to a ten-year restoration project. At the start of that project, the bridge was reinforced to prevent further damage, a step that kept a later flood and ice event from washing it away. All original materials that could be salvaged were reused. It is thought to be the oldest remaining bridge in Somerset County, and it and the adjacent park are now owned and maintained by Middlecreek Township as a popular stop on the Somerset County driving tour.

Photo: Bradley Owen

Photo: Bradley Owen

Photo: Bradley Owen

Photo: Bradley Owen

Upper Turkeyfoot, Pennsylvania · USA