{"nrhp_refnum":"95001175","name":"Norfolk Southern Six Mile Bridge No. 58","other_names":["VDHR File No. 15-352"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Over James R. W of jct. of VA 726 and Norfolk & Western RR tracks","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lynchburg","county":"Amherst County","state":"VA","lat":37.39317101600005,"lon":-79.061362170869,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-10-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A seven-span steel Pratt truss and plate girder railroad bridge, about 680 feet long, crossing the James River about six miles east of Lynchburg between Amherst and Campbell counties, Virginia. It was first built around 1853-1854 on stone piers for the South Side Railroad.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the bridge is significant under Criterion A for its role in Virginia transportation history. It carried freight and passenger traffic on the Petersburg-Lynchburg line from 1854 until abandonment in 1972, and it was strategically important during the Civil War. Its successive rebuilds, from wood to Fink iron trusses to steel Pratt trusses, illustrate the evolution of railroad bridge design.","narrative":"Six Mile Bridge carries a former railroad line over the James River about six miles east of Lynchburg, linking Amherst and Campbell counties. Begun in 1853 for the South Side Railroad, it opened in 1854 with wooden trusses on tall stone piers. Confederate forces burned it in 1865, and it was rebuilt in wood, then raised and fitted with wrought-iron Fink trusses after a flood in 1870. Steel Pratt trusses replaced those in 1899, with a third truss per span added in 1920. Concrete footings followed in 1934, and the east span was lengthened in the late 1950s to make room for a road. The bridge now measures about 680 feet with seven spans. It served freight and passenger trains until the line was abandoned in 1972. Its stone piers, original to 1854, have survived major floods, including the one in 1985. The bridge is recognized for its place in Virginia rail history and its record of changing bridge technology.","period_of_significance":"1854-1945","architect_builder":"unknown","architectural_style":"Other: Pratt Truss","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Not in use; rails were removed after abandonment in 1972 and the wooden deck has deteriorated, though the superstructure is in good structural condition and the stone piers are undamaged.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.328289-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/59/6795/41679559/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/95001175.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001175/f5f7505110-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95001175/f5f7505110-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norfolk_Southern_Six_Mile_Bridge_No._58.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norfolk_Southern_Six_Mile_Bridge_No._58.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679559","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Southern_Six_Mile_Bridge_No._58","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712968"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/amherst-county/norfolk-southern-six-mile-bridge-no-58-95001175/"}