Van Sant Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1875 over Pidcock Creek near Bowman's Hill in Solebury Township, Bucks County, the Van Sant Covered Bridge is a Town truss structure measuring 86 feet in length and 15 feet in width. It is owned by Bucks County and is in good condition. The bridge is regarded as the typical Bucks County form of covered bridge in its style. It was often known as Beaver Dam Bridge and once shared the creek crossing with the Neely Mill Bridge, which was removed in 1937, leaving Van Sant as the survivor of the pair. Its listing rests on its representation of wooden bridge technology, and it was nominated as one of several covered bridges in the Delaware River watershed that together illustrate the county's bridge-building tradition. The surviving form gives a clear example of nineteenth century timber construction used across Bucks County.
Significance in brief: The bridge is described as the typical Bucks County type of covered bridge in style. It was one of two bridges that once crossed Pidcock Creek and is nominated as part of a thematic group of covered bridges in the Delaware River watershed. The document states the bridge was often called Beaver Dam Bridge.
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 80003438, listed December 1, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | S of New Hope on T 392, Solebury Township, New Hope |
|---|---|
| County | Bucks County |
| Listed | December 1, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003438 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Typical Bucks County covered bridge type; Town truss |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.32709, -74.95771 (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 80003438.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7913646
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.