Little Gap Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Near Little Gap in Lower Towamensing Township, a wooden covered bridge crosses Aquashicola Creek on a township road south of the village. The bridge measures about 73 feet in length and 15 feet in width and dates from around 1860. Its structure combines the arch-supported Burr truss with features of the Howe truss. It is distinguished by the use of iron tie rods, a relatively early application of metal in bridge building. The rods allowed builders to use green, freshly cut timbers, with the tension kept in place by tightening the bolts over time. For that reason the bridge is regarded as marking the shift from timber to metal bridge construction. It is one of a group of covered bridges in Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Northampton counties that were studied as examples of nineteenth-century wooden bridge technology. The bridge is owned by Carbon County.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as an interesting example of early bridge architecture that combines the Burr arch truss with elements of the Howe truss. It is also said to be the first to use metal tie rods in bridge construction, which allowed green timbers to be used and tension to be maintained by tightening bolts. The form presents it as representing the transition from wooden to metal bridges.
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 80004294, listed December 1, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Little Gap on T 376, Towamensing Township, Little Gap |
|---|---|
| County | Carbon County |
| Listed | December 1, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004294 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | c.1860 |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.83130, -75.52241 (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 80004294.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6650129
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.