Barto Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 over a tributary of Perkiomen Creek in Washington Township, Berks County, the Barto Bridge is a single-span solid barrel concrete arch carrying a rural road, Route 284, formerly Old Route 100. The main span measures 82 feet and the overall length is 146 feet. The arch is capped by a continuous parapet wall embellished with incised lines, a decorative treatment the nomination describes as typical of early twentieth-century concrete highway bridges. Its designer was N. M. Davis and its contractor was Willauer & Co., according to PennDOT records and a plaque on the bridge. The bridge is one of fifteen concrete solid barrel arches documented in a multiple-resource group of Pennsylvania state highway bridges, built between 1895 and 1930. The nomination regards its well-preserved condition as the reason it merits inclusion, as an example of this bridge type from the period. Its parapets have been replaced in later work, and it is recorded as altered in that respect.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a representative and well-preserved example of an early twentieth-century solid, barrel concrete arch bridge. Its parapet is embellished with simple incised lines, a feature the nomination describes as typical of early concrete highway bridges. The nomination treats it as one of fifteen similar concrete arches built between 1895 and 1930.
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 88000790, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | LR 284 over trib. to Perkiomen Creek, Barto |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000790 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | N. M. Davis (designer/engineer); Willauer & Co. (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.39630, -75.60835 (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 88000790.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4865468
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.