{"nrhp_refnum":"95001171","name":"Bridge at Falling Creek","other_names":["VDHR File No. 20-135"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"US 1/301 at Falling Cr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Chesterfield County","state":"VA","lat":37.439566264000064,"lon":-77.43915860399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-10-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-arch granite turnpike bridge built about 1823-1824 over Falling Creek at US Route 1/301 near Richmond in Chesterfield County, Virginia, preserved within an early Virginia wayside. It was built for the Manchester and Petersburg Turnpike.","why_significant":"The bridge is one of only twelve known masonry-arched turnpike bridges in Virginia. It is significant under Criterion A for Transportation, as part of a major north-south travel corridor, and under Criterion C for Engineering, as a fine early-nineteenth-century masonry arch bridge. Its preservation in the Falling Creek Wayside also reflects early highway beautification and historic preservation tied to tourism.","narrative":"Spanning Falling Creek between the northbound and southbound lanes of US Route 1/301, this granite bridge was built about 1823-1824 for the Manchester and Petersburg Turnpike, a road chartered in 1816 to give travelers a more direct route between Richmond and Petersburg. Two semicircular arches of rough, uncoursed granite, probably quarried nearby, carry a roadway about 24 feet wide and 148 feet long with wing walls. William Carter of Richmond built the stonework at a reported cost of $2,043.26. The bridge was taken out of regular service shortly after 1931, when a new span carried southbound traffic. In 1934 the surrounding wayside was partly developed with Federal Aid funds and the help of a local garden club to protect it. It is recognized as one of only twelve known masonry-arched turnpike bridges in Virginia and as an early example of roadside preservation. A 1933 granite marker also stands on the site.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1823-1941","architect_builder":"Carter, William","architectural_style":"NO STYLE","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Retired from vehicle service shortly after 1931; now preserved within the Falling Creek Wayside, which is used for outdoor recreation.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:59.870135-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/80/6801/41680180/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/95001171.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001171/c779213f51-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001171/c779213f51-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"James Shelton32","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_at_Falling_Creek.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">James Shelton32</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge_at_Falling_Creek.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680180","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_at_Falling_Creek","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712074"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/chesterfield-county/bridge-at-falling-creek-95001171/"}