Diehls Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Diehl's Covered Bridge is a Burr truss covered bridge carrying a local road across the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Harrison Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, near New Buena Vista. The form dates the structure to 1892. It has a high Burr truss and low sidewalls that leave most of the sides open, and it measures about 88 feet 4 inches along its end posts, with a roadbed width of 12 feet 10 inches and a clearance of 12 feet. The load limit is given as 3 tons. The bridge is owned by Harrison Township and can be seen from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It was listed as an example of a transportation type, representing wood bridge technology of the 19th century that was once common in Bedford County. Reviewers noted that the county retains 14 extant covered bridges, and that the bridge is among them. Its condition is recorded as good.
Significance in brief: The nomination treats the bridge as eligible as an example of a type of transportation architecture, representing 19th-century wood bridge technology once common in Bedford County. The review comments note that Bedford County has 14 extant covered bridges, and that the bridge is among them. The bridge is also described as visible from the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
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 80003420, listed April 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Schellsburg on LR 09057, Harrison Township, New Buena Vista |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford County |
| Listed | April 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003420 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Burr truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition given as good on the form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.00949, -78.64837 (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 80003420.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5274897
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.