Furnace Covered Bridge No. 11
Why it's listed
Furnace Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge near Esther in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It measures 100.8 feet long with a roadway 13.33 feet wide and 11 feet of clearance. Two queen post trusses carry the span, which rests on a mid-stream pier and concrete abutments. The roof is tarred metal panel laid over wooden ribs, and the portals and walls are covered in vertical and board-and-batten boarding. Each side wall has one window placed to improve sightlines for approaching drivers. The bridge was built by C. W. Eves. It is significant for its engineering and for its role in transportation. Covered bridges replaced open wooden spans because they lasted longer, and the county used several truss types, with queen posts favored for longer crossings. The bridge served farms, saw mills and grist mills during a period of rapid town growth.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant under engineering and transportation. It notes that covered bridges were adopted over open wooden spans because of their longer life, and that Columbia County bridges use a range of truss designs, including queen post trusses for longer spans. It also links the bridge to rapid town growth and to the need to move goods between farms, saw mills and grist mills.
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 79003190, 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 373, Esther |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003190 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | C. W. Eves (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.90666, -76.45983 (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 79003190.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5509609
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.