Speakman No. 2, or Mary Ann Pyle, Covered Bridge is located in the Laurels Preserve at East Fallowfield Township near Modena in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a 75-foot-long (23 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1881. It is a twin of Speakman No. 1, located a 1/4 mile away. It crosses Buck Run.
In the late 19th century James Pyle owned large acreage in the Buck Run Valley. Two bridges were constructed at a site over the Buck Run on the Pyle's property, which were both destroyed by floods. In 1881 the County had a replacement wooden bridge built over the stream on the Pyle's property. The bridge would be named Mary Ann Pyle after Mr. Pyle's daughter, Mary Ann.
Menander Wood did the wood work on the bridge and his brother Ferdinand Wood did the stone work. The copings on the wing walls were similar in detail to that of the Hayes Clark Bridge. In the mid twentieth century the bridge was owned by the Buck and Doe Run Valley Farms and the cattle of the King Ranch would graze on the land nearby. The bridges are now part of the 771 acre Laurels Preserve managed by the Brandywine Conservancy and are open to its membership on a walking trail. If you visit be sure to become a member of the Brandywine Conservancy to support their conservation work.
