Lilly Bridge
Why it's listed
Built over Burgoon Run at Lilly in Cambria County, the Lilly Bridge is a single-span stone arch of roughly squared, coursed ashlar. It dates to 1832 and was constructed for the Allegheny Portage Railroad, a system of inclined planes that carried Pennsylvania Main Line Canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains between 1832 and 1834. The railroad linked the eastern and western divisions of the canal. Its elliptical arch and curved wingwalls set it apart from most railroad bridges, which typically had no parapet wall, and the bridge has no parapet of the original type. The bridge outlasted the railroad and today carries traffic on a state highway. Metal guide rails and a partial concrete parapet were added in the twentieth century, but the structure retains good integrity. Its importance rests on its transportation and engineering associations, including its role in the portage system and its unusual design. It is 18 feet long and 30 feet wide, and includes only the superstructure and substructure.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is unusual both for its historical association with the Allegheny Portage Railroad and for its configuration. Its elliptical arch and curved wingwalls are cited as distinctive features. It outlasted the railroad and retains good integrity despite 20th-century metal guide rails and a partial concrete parapet.
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 88000785, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | PA 53 over Burgoon Run, Lilly |
|---|---|
| County | Cambria County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000785 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Carries vehicular traffic on a state highway |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.42377, -78.61738 (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 88000785.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6548353
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.