Fowlersville Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Fowlersville Covered Bridge is a 40-foot covered span near Fowlersville in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, with a clearance of 10.6 feet. It uses the queen post truss, a design suited to longer spans in the county, where the local bridges are built in several types including the King Post, Warren Truss, Theodore Burr and Howe Truss. The roof is corrugated galvanized steel laid over wooden ribbing fixed to the rafters. The walls are board and batten, with some sections being repaired using plain vertical boards. The floor is horizontal boards carrying two runways, and the understructure has been strengthened with steel beams. Builder Charles King is named as the bridge's builder. The bridge is significant for its engineering and its role in transportation, linking towns with the farm, saw mill and grist mill activity that depended on road and bridge access. Covered bridges of this kind are described as rare locally, since none have been built in the county for about fifty years.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for engineering and transportation. Covered bridges in Columbia County are described as unique in their design and engineering, since none have been built there in the last half century. The bridge served the growing towns and the farming, saw mill and grist mill economy that needed transport links between them.
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 79003182, 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 19039, Fowlersville |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003182 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Charles King (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Repairs are underway on some wall areas, and steel beams and concrete supports have been added to the undergriding and abutments. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.05527, -76.32721 (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 79003182.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5476455
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.