Cleveland And Pittsburgh Railroad Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Tinker's Creek in Bedford, this stone railroad viaduct was completed in 1864 to carry the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad, which had reached the community in 1852. Originally it had four round arches of about fifty feet each, ran over 200 feet in length, and lifted a single track more than 100 feet above the creek bed. It replaced an earlier wooden trestle. The contractor and mason, Al Spafford, is said to have used a derrick over 100 feet high to set the centering and keystones. In 1901 the line was moved west to allow double track, and the viaduct was abandoned. The new right-of-way sits on a large landfill that covers one arch and the lower piers, so the structure is complete but partly hidden. Its significance rests on its engineering and its role in local transportation, including the 1893 passage of a train carrying the Liberty Bell to Chicago. It is owned by the City of Bedford.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the viaduct as a monumental example of mid-nineteenth century American engineering skill, of 'truly Roman proportions'. It also marks the railroad's arrival in Bedford in 1852 and the passage of a train carrying the Liberty Bell in 1893.
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 75001351, listed July 24, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Tinker's Creek, Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | July 24, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001351 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1864; 1901) |
| Architect / builder | Al Spafford, contractor and mason |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned in 1901 when the line was relocated; partly buried by landfill but still entirely present. Listed as good condition, altered, on its original site, and unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.38467, -81.53409 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 75001351.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137636221
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.