Osterburg Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
A covered bridge over Bob's Creek in East St. Clair Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, carries Township Road T757 across the stream. It is a Burr truss bridge with an end post length of 90 feet, a roadbed width of 9 feet 10 inches, and a clearance of 11 feet 9 inches. Its open framework is similar to that of the Diehl covered bridge, and it has an unusual arrangement of horizontal beams bracing the top level of the arch. The bridge is owned by Bedford County. It is considered an example of 19th-century wood bridge technology, a method of construction that was once common throughout Bedford County. The bridge is one of the county's surviving covered bridges, which were valued for their engineering and their aesthetic character. Its condition is recorded as good.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is eligible as an example of a type of transportation structure, embodying 19th-century wood bridge technology once common in Bedford County. Its open framework resembles the Diehl covered bridge, and it has unusual horizontal bracing at the top level of the arch. The bridge is one of the extant covered bridges in the county.
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 80003421, listed April 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Osterburg on T 757, East St. Clair Township, Osterburg |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford County |
| Listed | April 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003421 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition as recorded in the form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.17698, -78.54136 (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 80003421.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7107652
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.