Silk Street Bridge
Why it's listed
Carrying Silk Street over the East Branch of Owego Creek just inside the western edge of Newark Valley village, this iron bridge is a lenticular pony truss with a seventy-foot single span built of five panels. It rests on poured concrete abutments and stands about eight feet tall at the center. The bottom chord uses paired eyebars, and crossed iron rods serve as tension members in the central panels. A plaque, now in the local historical society museum, reportedly credits the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut, and the year 1888. The bridge matters because lenticular trusses were an uncommon form, and only perhaps fifty to one hundred are thought to survive nationwide. Nearly all known survivors came from that Connecticut firm or its predecessor. This is the only example in the township. It was recognized for engineering significance, having kept its original construction, form, materials and setting. It remains in road use today.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a rare surviving example of a lenticular truss bridge in the United States, a type made almost exclusively by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut. It is the only one of its type in the township and retains integrity of setting, construction, form and materials. It is also tied to the village's industry and commerce context.
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 98000430, listed April 30, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Silk St., over E Branch of Owego Cr., Newark Valley |
|---|---|
| County | Tioga County |
| Listed | April 30, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000430 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | ca. 1888 |
| Architect / builder | Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut (per a reported plaque reading "Bridge East Berlin, Conn. John M. Clifford, Commissioner, 1888"); the form lists Architect/Builder as N/A |
| Architectural style | OTHER: lenticular pony truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a road bridge (current function listed as road-related bridge); side railings are modern and the road surface is asphalt. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.21744, -76.19365 (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 98000430.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7515207
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.