Sauck's Covered Bridge
Also known as: See Also:Gettysburg National Military Park
Why it's listed
Sauck's Covered Bridge is a Town truss covered bridge spanning Marsh Creek in Cumberland and Freedom Townships, Adams County, Pennsylvania, inside Gettysburg National Military Park. Dated to about 1854, it is 100 feet long and 15 feet 4 inches wide, and it is regarded as one of Pennsylvania's few Town truss covered bridges and the only one of its type in its area of the state. Its open sides are described as unique in the state. During the Gettysburg Campaign, Union brigades of the 1st Corps crossed it on the morning of July 1, 1863 on their way toward the battlefield, and Humphreys' Division of the Third Corps crossed it that evening. Later, during the Confederate retreat of July 3, 1863, the army's main column used the bridge to leave the battlefield, and the surrounding Marsh Creek area served as encampment, hospital, burial ground and pasture. Its wartime role is the basis for its listing.
Significance in brief: The document argues the bridge is one of Pennsylvania's few Town truss covered bridges and the only one in its area of the state, and that its open sides are unique in the state. It is also tied to the Battle of Gettysburg, as Union troops crossed it on July 1, 1863 and Confederate forces used it during the retreat on July 3-5, 1863.
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 80003395, listed August 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Gettysburg on T 326, Cumberland/Freedom Townships, Gettysburg |
|---|---|
| County | Adams County |
| Listed | August 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003395 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to traffic |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Eisenhower National Historic Site |
| Coordinates | 39.79767, -77.27611 (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 80003395.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7396771
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.