Jersey Bridge
Also known as: Highway 49 Bridge; Bridge #13-0005
-L1006423.jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Jersey Bridge is a 120-foot steel Parker through truss that crosses the Downie River in Downieville, California, linking Main and Commercial Streets. Sierra County engineer George Taylor designed it, and the Judson Pacific Company of San Francisco built it in 1938 after a December 1937 flood destroyed the earlier wooden Jersey Bridge, the Durgan Bridge and a state concrete arch highway bridge. The single 12.5-foot roadway has a four-foot wooden pedestrian walkway on the east side. The state never replaced the lost highway bridge, so Jersey Bridge has carried State Route 49 ever since, making it the only one-lane point on the highway between Oakhurst and Vinton. It is one of four surviving one-lane truss bridges in Downieville. Its significance rests on its contribution to the town's community planning and development, since the narrow span keeps traffic slow and the town's historic character intact. Only minor changes to the walkway posts and guardrails have occurred.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant under Criterion A at the local level for its role in the planning and development of Downieville. It replaced earlier Jersey bridges and the 1936 highway bridge, all lost to flood or other causes, and it still carries Highway 49 on one lane. It is one of four surviving single-lane truss bridges in town.
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 12000401, listed July 10, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | CA 49 from Main to Commercial Sts., Downieville |
|---|---|
| County | Sierra County |
| Listed | July 10, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000401 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1938 |
| Architect / builder | George F. Taylor, county engineer, designer; Judson Pacific Company, builder |
| Architectural style | Single lane, steel, rigid-connected polygonal Parker through truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use carrying State Route 49 through Downieville; maintained by Caltrans under contract, owned by Sierra County. The form says it retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.55981, -120.82789 (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 12000401.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q130545673
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.