Brower's Bridge
Also known as: Browers Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1904 by the local contracting firm P.J. McCormick & Sons, Brower's Bridge carries Mansion Road across a branch of French Creek in rural Warwick Township, Chester County. The single arch spans 25 feet, and the bridge is 100 feet long overall. Its masonry is coursed rubble stone, with brick arch rings, a brick intrados four rows thick, and contrasting parapet coping. Its wingwalls are skewed, and its parapet is capped with slate. The bridge is one of three similar stone arch bridges in the surveyed group that use brick arch rings. Its design and workmanship are regarded as high in quality, and its overall form recalls nineteenth-century highway bridges. The bridge is significant in the area of engineering. It sits beside a stone farmhouse and outbuildings, and it remains a vehicular crossing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is an unusual early twentieth-century stone bridge of high quality design and construction. It is similar in style and materials to two other nearby stone arch bridges, and the three are described as the few stone arch bridges with brick arch rings in the group. Its overall form and configuration are said to resemble nineteenth-century highway 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 88000754, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mansion Rd. over French Creek, Warwick |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000754 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | P.J. McCormick & Sons (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Reading Furnace Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.14758, -75.76909 (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 88000754.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4975911
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.