Southern Railway Company Overhead Bridge
Also known as: North Carolina Bridge #220426
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 of reinforced concrete, the bridge carries two traffic lanes over a railway cut in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, though it is effectively used as a single lane. It has three spans of concrete tee-beams on two interior bents, with three-rail pipe railings set on concrete posts. The bridge replaced a late-nineteenth-century wood trestle when the Southern Railway main line through the town was double-tracked. That project, begun in 1901 and completed in 1919, was one of the largest rail improvement programs in the country at the time. The nomination regards the bridge as one of the oldest tee-beam bridges in the state and one of only two Southern Railway tee-beam bridges that survive virtually unaltered. Its design is also linked to later state highway bridge practice.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for its association with the second-tracking of the Southern Railway main line between Washington and Atlanta, a major transportation project of the early twentieth century. It also argues the bridge is significant as one of the oldest surviving tee-beam bridges in North Carolina, and as one of the few remaining in nearly unaltered condition.
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 07000351, listed April 19, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Spanning the double tracks on the Norfolk Southern RR bet. Battleground and Railroad Aves., 1/2 blk N of King St., Kings Mountain |
|---|---|
| County | Cleveland County |
| Listed | April 19, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000351 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1919 |
| Architect / builder | Southern Railway, Office of the District Engineer, Charlotte |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Central School Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.24162, -81.34448 (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 07000351.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18155385
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.