Scuppernong River Bridge
Also known as: Main Street Bridge; Tyrrell County No. 4 Bridge; Columbia Brid
Why it's listed
Carrying U.S. 64 Business into downtown Columbia, this 566-foot bridge crosses the Scuppernong River narrows in Tyrrell County, North Carolina. Completed in 1926 to replace a timber trestle and drawbridge, it combines a 123-foot steel Warren pony truss swing span, fabricated by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company of Roanoke, with twenty-two timber approach spans on concrete piles. The swing span is turned by hand-driven capstans and has no electrical drive. The bridge was the last link in extending U.S. 64 across Piney Marsh, ending the isolation of Columbia and the county, and its 1927 dedication drew a county-wide celebration. It is described as the state's oldest drawbridge and its only manually operated truss swing span still on its original site. Alterations have been limited to repairs in 1949, a timber replacement and repainting in 1979 to 1980, and removal of the tender's house and traffic gates. It remains a visual link to the historic commercial blocks of Main Street.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion A for transportation, as a reminder of the Good Roads Movement that ended Tyrrell County's isolation by completing U.S. 64 across Piney Marsh into Columbia. It argues statewide significance under Criterion C for engineering, as North Carolina's oldest drawbridge and its only manually operated truss swing span remaining on its original site. The bridge also keeps a high degree of integrity and links visually to Columbia's historic downtown.
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 92000078, listed March 5, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 64 Bus. across the Scuppernong R., Columbia |
|---|---|
| County | Tyrrell County |
| Listed | March 5, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000078 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1926 - 1941 |
| Architect / builder | N.C. State Highway Commission |
| Architectural style | Other: Warren Ponytruss Swing Span |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in its original location with all original functioning parts operable; the state transportation department was pursuing plans to remove it at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Columbia Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.91743, -76.25494 (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 92000078.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20486963
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.