Knisley, Dr., Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
A Burr truss covered bridge crossing Dunnings Creek near Alum Bank in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, about 2.5 miles northeast of Ryot in West St. Clair Township. The bridge has an 80-foot end post length, a roadway 12 feet 7 inches wide and a clearance of 11 feet 7 inches. It carries a private access road and sees little traffic, with vegetation growing over the approach. Its low side walls leave the trussing system open to view, a feature found in many of the county's bridges. The bridge is regarded as an example of 19th-century wood bridge technology, a form once common in Bedford County. Of the county's covered bridges surveyed as a group, fourteen survive, with one more lost to alteration. The bridge is recorded in good condition and was considered for its engineering method and its role in the county's transportation history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is eligible as an example of a type of transportation architecture, embodying wood bridge technology of the 19th century. Covered bridges of this kind were once common in Bedford County, and the bridge is one of the surviving examples in a group of county covered bridges. Its low side walls leave the trussing system clearly visible, a feature the nomination notes is common in the county's bridges.
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 80003411, listed April 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Alum Bank on LR 05098, West St. Clair Township, Alum Bank |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford County |
| Listed | April 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003411 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; the bridge serves private property and is lightly used. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.16024, -78.60185 (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 80003411.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304239
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.