Spengler Bridge
Why it's listed
Spengler Bridge, originally recorded as Spangler Bridge, is a narrow one-lane iron truss bridge that carries a small dirt road over Kinderhook Creek near Chatham Center in Columbia County, New York. Built in 1880 by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio, it uses two 138-foot Pratt trusses with counter bracing, a plank deck and a 16-foot width. Unusual decorative touches include fanciful cast iron brackets forming an arch at each entrance and four cast iron urns atop the portal bracing. Old wooden railings made for horse and carriage traffic remain. The bridge sits beside an old weathered frame grist mill on a short bypass road created in the 19th century to avoid congested crossings at Chatham Center. Because the setting has stayed quiet and undisturbed, and because the bridge has changed little since 1880, it was judged an important surviving example of its type. It may be the only remaining New York bridge by its builder.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a little-changed 19th-century iron truss bridge that remains in its original 'shunpike' bypass setting beside an old frame grist mill. It has decorative cast iron brackets and urns unusual for a utilitarian structure. It may be the only surviving New York example of a Morse Bridge Company bridge.
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 73001172, listed February 23, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Spengler Rd. over Kinderhook Creek, Chatham |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | February 23, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001172 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1880 |
| Architect / builder | Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss with counters |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, largely unaltered and on its original site; a later 1978 letter mentions restoration work and a requested name change from Spangler to Spengler Bridge. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.43091, -73.59929 (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 73001172.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7576296
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.