Lippincott Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1943 over Ruff Creek in Morgan Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania, this covered bridge has a kingpost truss, horizontal siding and a shingled gable roof. The Greene County Roads and Bridges Department built it under the supervision of Benjamin F. Lewellan to replace an earlier, much older covered bridge on the same crossing. Wartime shortages of metal led the builders to choose timber, and the bridge continues a local tradition of solving crossing problems with wood in an area where stone and metal were scarce during the war. Its 27-foot-8-inch end post length and 15-foot roadway make it a compact example of the type. It is significant as a representative of the covered bridge tradition in Greene and Washington Counties, a group valued for its simple truss forms and local design features. The bridge was in good condition when recorded.
Significance in brief: The bridge replaced an earlier, very old covered bridge and was built of wood because metal was scarce during World War II. The nomination presents it as an example of continued use of wood for bridge construction in a region where stone and metal were not available during the war. It is listed as part of the Covered Bridges of Washington and Greene Counties thematic group, which the nomination describes as important examples of vernacular wood-truss technology in rural counties.
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 79003823, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off PA 221 crossing Ruff Creek, Washington Township, Waynesburg |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003823 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Greene County Roads and Bridges Department under the supervision of Benjamin F. Lewellan |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.94338, -80.12612 (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 79003823.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6556926
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.