Bridge in West Mead Township
Why it's listed
Built in 1888, this single-span Pratt through truss carries vehicles across French Creek at Center Road Corners in West Mead Township, Crawford County. The bridge measures about 158 feet overall and rests on stone abutments. Its steel members include eyebars, riveted angles and channels, and lacing bars, with pin-connected joints. The superstructure was made by the Penn Bridge Company of Beaver Falls, a firm founded in 1868 that built truss bridges into the early twentieth century, as shown on the bridge's portal plates. The bridge is regarded as a lightly structured example of a truss type common in northwestern Pennsylvania, and it retains much of its nineteenth-century character. It is valued for its engineering, and its original design survives largely intact despite later additions to the deck.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a typical, well-preserved, lightly structured example of a Pratt truss type used frequently in northwestern Pennsylvania. It is said to be unaltered and to retain much of its nineteenth-century character. Its significance is in engineering.
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 88000827, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 20027 over French Creek, Center Road Corners |
|---|---|
| County | Crawford County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000827 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1888 |
| Architect / builder | Designer/Engineer: Unknown; Bridge Company: Penn Bridge Company, Beaver Falls, PA |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Form lists the bridge as altered, with a 1937 floor system and a 1946 laminated floor with bituminous wearing surface, though the significance text describes it as unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.58914, -80.15024 (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 88000827.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966459
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.