Garnett Creek Bridge on Greenwood Avenue
Also known as: Bridge No. 21CO042
Why it's listed
Garnett Creek Bridge carries Greenwood Avenue over Garnett Creek northeast of Grant Avenue, near Calistoga in Napa County. Built in 1904, it is an earth-filled, closed spandrel masonry arch with a single 32-foot span. The two-lane bridge is 50 feet long and about 20.7 feet wide, made of rough-cut stone laid in irregular courses, with cut-stone railings. Trees and fields surround it. County Surveyor O.H. Buckman designed the bridge, and contractor John C. Money built it for $2,390. Buckman's designs are the main reason Napa County has so many masonry arch bridges, helped by nearby quality building stone and skilled stonemasons. Caltrans maintenance files indicate only routine upkeep since construction, and the bridge keeps its original appearance. It was listed for its engineering significance as a well-preserved example of a masonry arch, a bridge type that is rare in California, and it continues to serve vehicle traffic.
Significance in brief: The bridge is significant under Criterion C in the area of engineering at the local level, as a fine, essentially unaltered example of a rare bridge type in California, the masonry arch. It was designed by Napa County Surveyor O.H. Buckman, whose designs account for the abundance of masonry arch bridges in Napa County. It retains a high degree of integrity of design and setting.
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 05000778, listed August 5, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Greenwood Ave., 0.2 mi. NE of Grant Ave., Calistoga |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | August 5, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000778 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | Buckman, O.H (designer); Money, John C. (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Other: Masonry Arch Bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Structure appears essentially unaltered since 1904, with only routine maintenance; still used for vehicular traffic. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.60340, -122.58938 (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 05000778.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q113558051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.