Lower Shavertown Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
This covered timber bridge carries a private drive over Trout Brook north of Methol, in Delaware County, New York. Delaware County builders Anson Jenkins and Augustus Neidig erected it in 1877 at Shavertown, where it crossed Lower Beech Hill Brook. Its web uses the Town lattice truss, with planks joined by wooden pins, set on fieldstone abutments and sheathed in board and batten siding. When the Pepacton Reservoir threatened the Shavertown area in 1954, local resident Carl Campbell dismantled the bridge and trucked it 15 miles to its present site. The move shortened it by 10 feet, and new abutments and portals were built. It is considered significant as a rare, well-preserved example of rural vernacular bridge building in the Catskills, one of only 10 Town truss examples left in New York and one of four covered wooden bridges in Delaware County. It also remains in vehicular use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare, substantially intact example of rural vernacular bridge design and construction in the Catskill region. It is one of only 10 Town lattice truss covered bridges remaining in New York State and one of only 4 extant covered wood bridges in Delaware County. It is also a rare surviving structure tied to the Shavertown community, which was inundated by the Pepacton Reservoir.
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 99000504, listed April 29, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 682 Methol Rd., Methol |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | April 29, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000504 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1877 |
| Architect / builder | Anson Jenkins & Augustus Neidig (builders) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in active use as a vehicular bridge on a private road, preserved by its private owner. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.92339, -75.01316 (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 99000504.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6693791
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.