Ashokan-Turnwood Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
This covered timber bridge crosses Esopus Creek just east of Winchell Falls, northeast of Olivebridge in Ulster County. It was built in 1885 by local timber framer Nelson Tompkins to carry wagons over the Beaver Kill at Turnwood, a small wood-products manufacturing hamlet. Tompkins used the Town lattice truss, a plank design joined with wooden pins, and local hemlock for the structure. By the 1930s automobile traffic made the bridge hazardous, and the county declared it unsafe in 1934. After flood damage and replacement with a steel span, it was sold at auction in 1939. The buyer had it numbered, dismantled and rebuilt about 25 miles away on his estate. The State University of New York acquired the property in 1957, and the bridge now serves the Ashokan Field Campus. It is listed as one of ten surviving Town truss covered bridges in New York and for its link to Catskill transportation and vernacular engineering.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a rare, substantially intact example of rural vernacular bridge design and construction in the Catskill region. It is one of ten surviving Town lattice truss bridges in New York State. It is also tied to the transportation history of the Catskills and the local timber-based economy.
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 00000822, listed July 20, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 477 Beaverkill Rd., Oliverbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | July 20, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000822 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1885-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Nelson Tompkins (builder) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in seasonal light use as a pedestrian and light vehicle crossing on the Ashokan Field Campus of SUNY College at New Paltz. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.92667, -74.19893 (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 00000822.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4805807
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.