Bridge in Tinicum Township
Also known as: See Also:Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal
Why it's listed
Built in 1877 by Murray, Dougal & Company, this single-span steel bridge carries vehicular traffic over the Pennsylvania Canal in a rural village in Tinicum Township, Bucks County. Its main span measures 82 feet, and its pin-connected Pratt pony truss has a full-slope design with welded bracing on every other span. Simple finials decorate the endposts, and a bridge plate on the top chord documents the date and builder. The bridge is a representative example of its type from the late nineteenth century. It is one of seven Pratt pony trusses built between 1871 and 1906 that were grouped together in a statewide nomination of state-owned highway bridges. Its location in southeastern Pennsylvania is unusual, since most metal truss bridges in the state stand in the north central, northwestern and northeastern parts. The nominated property is a rectangle of 132 by 44 feet, covering only the superstructure and substructure, and it occupies less than one acre.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a representative example of a pin-connected Pratt pony truss. A bridge plate on the top chord records its construction in 1877 by Murray, Dougal & Company. It is one of seven Pratt pony trusses built between 1871 and 1906 included in the nomination, and one of only four nominated bridges in southeastern Pennsylvania, an unusual location for metal truss 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 88000814, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 920 over Pennsylvania Canal, Point Pleasant |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000814 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1877 |
| Architect / builder | Murray, Dougal & Co. (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Point Pleasant Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.42347, -75.06492 (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 88000814.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.