{"nrhp_refnum":"80003571","name":"Reading-Halls Station Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"NW of Muncy off U.S. 220","address_restricted":false,"city":"Muncy","county":"Lycoming County","state":"PA","lat":41.23587143200007,"lon":-76.83250355899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-01-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An all-metal pony Howe truss railroad bridge located just off Pa. Rt. 147 in Muncy Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, spanning approximately 70 feet over a single track of the Consolidated Rail Corporation (formerly Reading Railroad). It carries the limited traffic of a private estate road.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the bridge derives significance from its age, its architectural merits, and its representation of early transportation methods. It states that it is probably the oldest bridge of its type still in use in Pennsylvania and that it may be the sole working survivor of an early type of all-metal railroad construction. The form also notes its link to Richard B. Osborne's early all-metal bridge designs.","narrative":"Built around 1850 as an all-metal pony Howe truss railroad bridge, the structure spans about 70 feet and uses hollow cast iron compression members paired with wrought iron tension members, joined by a pinning system at each panel. The form argues it was likely designed by Richard B. Osborne, chief engineer of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, and that it was probably re-erected at its present site around 1883-84 after being used elsewhere. Its significance lies in its early use of metal in railroad bridge construction at a time when wood and iron were giving way to all-metal designs. The nomination describes it as probably the oldest bridge of its type still in use in Pennsylvania. Cast iron proved weak for larger spans, and several early failures of such bridges contributed to their decline, making surviving examples rare. The bridge's 12-ton weight limit prevents some services, including fire protection, from using it, which the form identifies as a threat to its preservation.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1850","architect_builder":"Richard B. Osborne (chief engineer, Philadelphia and Reading Railroad), as the presumed designer and builder; the form does not confirm this attribution","architectural_style":"Pony Howe truss (hollow cast iron compression members)","criteria":[],"status_note":"The bridge is altered and was moved; it is in use under a weight limit of 12 tons, which prohibits some services including fire protection. Abutments were recently remortared and are in excellent repair.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:34.30059-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/80003571.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003571/0e6edb6816-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80003571/0e6edb6816-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jet Lowe","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reading-Halls_Station_Bridge.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Lowe</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reading-Halls_Station_Bridge.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996658","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading-Halls_Station_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7300453"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/lycoming-county/reading-halls-station-bridge-80003571/"}