Five Mile Drive-Sutter Creek Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Sutter Creek in a wooded, rural setting near Ione, this 115-foot steel bridge carries Five Mile Drive on concrete abutments with flared wing walls. Built in 1910 by the Berkeley Steel Company for $3,700, it is a pin-connected pony Pratt half-hip truss, a type usually reserved for short spans and light traffic. Its length, the floor beams extended five feet beyond the truss chords, and end posts set higher than the interior verticals give it a distinctive "sway-backed" roadway profile. V.F. Garbarini, a local blacksmith and mining engineer who later became a county supervisor, designed it. Only one other bridge in Amador County is older, and surviving half-hip trusses are rare in northern California because many light examples were replaced long ago. Cross bracing added after a 1960 inspection is the main change, though the bridge has deteriorated and now carries a six-ton load limit.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for its age, rarity, unusual size for its truss type and unusual design features. Only one other bridge in Amador County is older. Pratt half-hip trusses were uncommon in northern California, and few survive. It was also designed by a local blacksmith and mining engineer, V.F. Garbarini.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86000734, listed April 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Five Mile Drive, Ione |
|---|---|
| County | Amador County |
| Listed | April 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000734 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | V.F. Garbarini - Designer; built by the Berkeley Steel Company |
| Architectural style | Pony Pratt half-hip truss bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is rated fair. It has been altered by added upper chord cross bracing and replaced stringers and decking. Load limits were imposed in 1960 and 1981 (six tons), and the current inspection shows its condition substantially unchanged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.35381, -120.95848 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86000734.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85761161
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.