An 1852 covered bridge used by both armies at Gettysburg, now on the National Register and a standard stop on ghost tours for reported Confederate apparitions
Pumping Station Road at Waterworks Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public access; the bridge is on public land
Access
Wheelchair OK
Flat approach; wooden bridge deck; unpaved parking area
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1852 · Used by Both Union and Confederate Forces at Gettysburg · Pennsylvania's Most Historic Covered Bridge (1938 Designation) · National Register of Historic Places · Confederate Retreat Crossing July 4–5 1863 · Survived 1996 Flood and Restored
Sachs Covered Bridge spans Marsh Creek approximately 3.5 miles southwest of Gettysburg, Adams County. It was built in 1852 by David Stoner in the Burr Arch truss design, a construction method common to Pennsylvania covered bridges of the era. At 100 feet, it was a substantial span and served the local farming community as an essential crossing.
In July 1863, the bridge became a crossing point in one of the pivotal campaigns of the Civil War. During the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee used the bridge during their approach and deployment. Union forces used it as well during the three-day engagement. After the Confederate retreat on July 4–5, General Lee's battered army crossed the bridge during its withdrawal south, moving through the span in the hours following the bloodiest battle in American history.
The bridge was recognized by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission in 1938 as the state's most historic covered bridge — a designation reflecting both its age and its Civil War significance. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, cementing its place in the documentary record of the Gettysburg Campaign.
In September 1996, Tropical Storm Fran caused catastrophic flooding of Marsh Creek that lifted the bridge off its foundations and carried it downstream. The bridge was recovered essentially intact and restored to its original site, a remarkable survival given the force of the flood. The restoration maintained the original materials as much as possible.
The bridge is now administered as part of the Adams County open space system and is freely accessible to the public year-round.
Sources
Sachs Covered Bridge occupies a firm place in Gettysburg's paranormal geography, appearing on ghost tour itineraries consistently and generating a distinct body of visitor accounts. The central legend is that three Confederate soldiers were hanged from the bridge's rafters following the battle — accounts vary as to the charge, with desertion and looting both cited. The identity of the soldiers is not established in primary sources, and the hangings have not been verified in the military record.
Despite the unverified status of the hangings narrative, the bridge has produced consistent reports from visitors and paranormal investigators. The most striking accounts describe full-body apparitions — human-scale figures visible in period clothing inside or near the bridge — that vanish when approached or watched. Disembodied heads are reported by some investigators, a detail unusual enough in the Gettysburg ghost-story corpus to stand out. Hair-pulling and the sense of physical contact have been reported by visitors standing inside the bridge.
Voices — sometimes described as warnings, sometimes as conversation — have been heard in and around the structure at night. The bridge's acoustic properties, a wooden enclosed span over moving water, do create unusual sound propagation that complicates interpretation of auditory accounts.
Ghost City Tours, one of the primary ghost tour operators in Gettysburg, documents the bridge as a regular stop and collects these accounts from clients. The sheer volume of independent reports from visitors with no prior knowledge of the specific legends, describing consistent phenomena, gives the bridge a deeper paranormal file than many Gettysburg sites.
Notable Entities
Sachs Covered Bridge, built in 1852 and used by both Union and Confederate forces during and after the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, sits on Marsh Creek about 3.5 miles from the town square. The bridge was designated Pennsylvania's most historic bridge in 1938 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is accessible year-round and is a standard stop on Gettysburg ghost tour itineraries.
Multiple Gettysburg ghost tour operators include Sachs Covered Bridge as a stop. Ghost City Tours and other operators run evening tours that visit the bridge and narrate the local lore of the three Confederate soldiers said to have been hanged here. Check individual tour operators for current schedules and booking.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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