Wagner Covered Bridge No. 19
Why it's listed
Wagner Covered Bridge No. 19 is a covered timber bridge near Newlin in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It measures 56.4 feet long, with a roadway 14 feet wide and a clearance of 11 feet. Its structure is a Queen Post truss, supplemented by iron tension rods running from the tops of the diagonal beams to the deck, found on only one end of each truss. The roof is tarred metal panels resting on thin wooden ribs over the rafters. The portals are covered with vertical planks, and the side walls use board and batten construction, with some areas of plain vertical planks. The deck combines horizontal and diagonal boards beneath two runways, with an iron tension rod and two longitudinal beams added beneath the center. Oak, pine and hemlock were the usual lumber for bridges of this kind. The bridge is significant for its engineering, as a surviving Queen Post truss in a county where covered bridges have not been built for half a century. It also reflects the need for crossings linking growing towns with farms and mills. Much of the abutments has been replaced by concrete.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for its engineering as a surviving example of the Queen Post truss design used for longer spans in Columbia County. It also relates to transportation, since bridges were needed to link towns with the farms and saw and grist mills that drove local business. The document notes that covered bridges have not been built in the county for half a century, which it cites as making their design and engineering distinctive.
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 79003178, listed November 29, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | SR 468, Newlin |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | November 29, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003178 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Dan Kostenbauder (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Much of the abutments have been replaced by concrete, and remaining stone areas are in need of repair. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.89240, -76.37405 (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 79003178.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7959601
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.