Dauberville Bridge
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Why it's listed
Built in 1908 by the contractors L. H. Focht & Sons to a design by engineer N. M. Davis, the Dauberville Bridge is a concrete arch bridge carrying Belleman's Church Road across the Schuylkill River in Center Township, Berks County. It has four elliptical arches, each spanning 75 feet, for an overall length of 408 feet. The bridge has a humpbacked profile, and its solid parapets are decorated with simple scored lines and recessed panels. Its piers are concrete and its arches are smooth concrete. It is regarded as a skillfully designed example of an early multiple-span concrete arch bridge. Its engineering is the basis for its listing, and it is seen as a representative of the early use of concrete arches in the county. The bridge was used for vehicles, and its original design survives.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a good example of an early twentieth century multiple-span concrete arch bridge and a skillfully designed example of an early multiple arch concrete bridge. Its graceful humpback profile and elliptical arches are cited as showing the design care taken with early concrete arch bridges. The solid parapets with simple scored lines are noted as typical of the Berks County concrete arches in the group.
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 88000788, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Belleman's Church Rd. over Schuylkill River, Dauberville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000788 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architect / builder | N. M. Davis (engineer); L. H. Focht & Sons (contractors) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.45701, -75.97653 (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 88000788.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5227822
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.