{"nrhp_refnum":"74002105","name":"Valley Railroad Stone Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"S of Jolivue off VA 654","address_restricted":false,"city":"Jolivue","county":"Augusta County","state":"VA","lat":38.08941570200005,"lon":-79.07756293799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-11-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four-span granite railroad bridge over Folly Mills Creek, just west of Interstate 81 about five miles south of Staunton, near Jolivue in Augusta County, Virginia. It was built for the Valley Railroad in the 1880s, though a date stone reads 1874.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of stone masonry construction and one of the most scenic bridges in the Commonwealth. It was built as part of the Valley Railroad's extension from Staunton toward Salem via Lexington. It is also a familiar landmark to travelers along the Valley of Virginia.","narrative":"Spanning Folly Mills Creek just west of Interstate 81, south of Staunton, this granite bridge carried the Valley Railroad across the stream. It has four semi-circular arches set on gently splayed piers, with slightly projecting imposts below the arches. It is 130 feet long and 15 feet wide, faced in rough-surface ashlar. The nomination dates its completion to 1884 and ties it to the line's extension from Staunton toward Salem via Lexington, although a date stone on the bridge reads 1874, a discrepancy noted in the review. The Valley Railroad was largely controlled by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which discontinued the branch in 1942. The track was later removed, and the Virginia Department of Highways bought the bridge in 1965 while acquiring right-of-way for Interstate 81. It is recognized for its stone masonry, its scenic quality, and its role in the region's rail history. Only the rails and ties have been removed, and the state maintains it as a landmark.","period_of_significance":"19th Century; specific date 1884","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Excellent condition and unaltered apart from removal of rails and ties; maintained by the Virginia Department of Highways as a scenic landmark and no longer serves a railroad function.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.758965-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/6796/41679699/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/74002105.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002105/45fce40397-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74002105/45fce40397-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jack Boucher","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valley_Railroad,_Folly_Mills_Creek_Viaduct,_Interstate_81,_Staunton_vicinity_(Augusta_County,_Virginia).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jack Boucher</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valley_Railroad,_Folly_Mills_Creek_Viaduct,_Interstate_81,_Staunton_vicinity_(Augusta_County,_Virginia).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679699","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Railroad_Stone_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713434"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/augusta-county/valley-railroad-stone-bridge-74002105/"}