Haupt's Mill (1872-1985)
Springfield
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The Haupt’s Mill Covered Bridge was one of the most remote covered bridges in Bucks County until it was destroyed in a 1985 fire.
The county commissioned the bridge in 1872, to be built from oak and hemlock, near what was called “Houpt’s Mill.” The mill was originally owned by Henry Houpt, an 18th-century German immigrant. Records show Houpt owned several mills and a distillery in Springfield Township. In later years, the family changed the spelling of its name.
In 1965, writer Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery interviewed the mill’s resident, William Witte, about the mill and the bridge for the Bristol Daily Courier. Witte said his grandfather, also named William Witte, grew up as the mill’s neighbor and married into the Haupt (or Houpt) family. The original Henry Houpt lived in the mill with his family until he built a neighboring house. He had also served in the militia during the Revolutionary War.
After her newspaper career, Jeffrey became a “ghost writer” of sorts. She specialized in tales of the paranormal and wrote The New York Times bestseller, “The Bermuda Triangle.”
The bridge was destroyed by an arsonist in January 1985. Local residents were apparently divided on the issue of whether a replica covered bridge should replace the original structure. But in February 1987, Bucks County’s commissioners said that the county did not have the $400,000 needed to pay for reconstructing the bridge. The commissioners also said township officials and nearby residents did not believe a new bridge was needed over the Durham Creek.
