Ironstone Bridge
Why it's listed
Ironstone Bridge is a single-span concrete solid barrel arch highway bridge in Douglass Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, carrying a road over Ironstone Creek near Farmington Avenue. Built in 1907, the bridge has a 50-foot main span and an overall length of 104 feet, with a width of 25 feet. Its continuous concrete parapet is simply ornamented with incised lines, and its keyed parapet sections are interlocked. The engineering was designed by N. M. Davis, and Willauer and Company served as contractor. The bridge is one of fifteen concrete solid barrel arches included in a group of Commonwealth highway bridges. It is regarded as a representative example of early twentieth century concrete arch construction, with construction dates for this general type ranging from 1895 to 1930. It is valued for its engineering and for remaining unaltered, which makes it an exceptionally well preserved example of its type. Vehicular traffic still uses the crossing.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as a representative example of an early twentieth century concrete arch bridge. It is one of fifteen concrete solid barrel arches in the group nomination, and it is described as unaltered and exceptionally well preserved for its type. Its simple incised parapet is typical of early concrete highway bridges. The area of significance is engineering.
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 88000789, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Farmington Ave. over Ironstone Creek, Morysville |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000789 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1907 |
| Architect / builder | N. M. Davis (designer/engineer); Willauer & Co. (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unaltered; the form notes vehicular use and that it is unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.32002, -75.65192 (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 88000789.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15228813
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.