Brand Hollow Road Stone Arch Bridge
Why it's listed
This small stone arch bridge carries Brand Hollow Road over a creek in a rural corner of northwestern Durham, Greene County. Built in two stages during 1892 and 1893, it is a single-span, dry-laid limestone structure with a round arch that supports its original earthen roadbed. The arch measures eight feet wide and about four and one-half feet high and springs from stone footings. It was built to give local farmers access to the Susquehanna Turnpike, part of a major east-west route across this remote part of town. Jeremiah Cunningham, who served as highway commissioner from 1886 to 1896, built it; it is one of eight surviving stone arch bridges he built in Durham. A steel culvert was later inserted to widen the road, and stone fill on the south side keeps the appearance compatible. The north side was expanded, and the original arch is no longer visible there. The bridge is valued as a representative example of local stone bridge building and as part of the town's road network.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a representative example of rural vernacular stone bridge design and played a role in Durham's development. It is one of eight surviving stone arch bridges in the town built by Jeremiah Cunningham, the town highway commissioner from 1886 to 1896. It gave farmers access to the Susquehanna Turnpike and retains substantial integrity despite a metal culvert added to widen the road.
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 08000271, listed April 10, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Brand Hollow Rd., West Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | April 10, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000271 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1892-93 |
| Architect / builder | Jeremiah Cunningham, builder |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in road use; altered with a steel culvert inserted to widen the road, with stone fill added on the south side. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.40536, -74.23912 (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 08000271.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4956492
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.