Bridge in South Beaver Township
Why it's listed
Built about 1878 by the West Penn Bridge Company, this steel Pratt pony truss carries vehicles over Little Beaver Creek on Walts Mill Road in South Beaver Township, Beaver County. Its two spans total 109 feet overall, with a main span of 48 feet, and the truss is pin-connected with loop-welded or die-forged eyebars. From the roadway it appears to be an ordinary simply supported pony truss, but a single central stone pier supports it, so it works as a continuous two-span bridge. Most pony trusses rest only at each end, making this arrangement unusual in both its function and its substructure. The nomination places it in the engineering field as one of seven Pratt pony trusses assessed together, a group built between 1871 and 1906 in several parts of the state. Its original wood deck was later replaced with an open steel grid, and the bridge was reconstructed in 1976.
Significance in brief: The bridge is an unusually configured pin-connected Pratt pony truss. It looks like a typical simply supported pony truss from the roadway, but a central pier makes it function as a continuous two-span bridge, which is unusual for this truss type. It is one of seven Pratt pony truss bridges included in the nomination, with construction dates from 1871 to 1906.
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 88000868, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Walts Mill Rd. over Little Beaver, Cannelton |
|---|---|
| County | Beaver County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000868 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | c. 1878 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Wood deck replaced with open grid; guardrail replaced; deck rivets replaced with bolts in places; reconstructed 1976. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79152, -80.49166 (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 88000868.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7975033
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.