Davis Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning a creek near Catawissa in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, the Davis Covered Bridge is an 87.1-foot wooden bridge with a roadway 14.2 feet wide and 11 feet of clearance. Its structure is a Burr truss arch, with four diagonal braces on either side of a central king post, and each truss system carries a superimposed arch. The roof is covered in tarred metal panels laid over thin wooden ribs and roof rafters, and the portals are board and batten. Many of the wall boards and battens are missing, and the abutments have been almost entirely replaced with reinforced concrete. Builder D. Kostenbauder is credited with its construction. The bridge was listed for its engineering value. Covered bridges of this type are rare in the county, since none have been built there in the last half century. Bridges like this one were needed as towns grew and as local farms and mills depended on travel between them.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for its engineering as a Burr truss covered bridge, a design the form describes as unique given that covered bridges have not been built in Columbia County within the last half century. It also ties the bridge to transportation needs that arose from town growth and from farming, saw and grist mills in the county.
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 79003191, listed November 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SR 371, Catawissa |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003191 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | D. Kostenbauder (builder) |
| Architectural style | Burr Truss Arch |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.91114, -76.43974 (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 79003191.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5241869
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.