Birmingham Bridge
Also known as: Blair County Bridge #48; Huntingdon County Bridge #15
Why it's listed
Spanning the Little Juniata River just north of the town of Birmingham, this single-span Pratt through-truss bridge measures 137 feet and carries a 14.7-foot-wide deck of three-inch plank laid on steel stringers and beams. Cut stone abutments support the structure, and a metal crest with six cut-out quatrefoils runs along the top chord at each end. The Penn Bridge Company of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, erected it in 1898 to replace a wooden bridge built in 1852. As first built, it had a pedestrian sidewalk on the downstream side, which was later removed. It is one of fewer than ten surviving pin-connected Pratt through-truss bridges in the county from the late nineteenth century. It is also the only road access to two dwellings on the Blair County side of the river. Blair and Huntingdon Counties share its cost equally, and Blair County handles maintenance.
Significance in brief: The bridge is regarded as a fine example of the county's few remaining pin-connected Pratt through-truss bridges from the late 1800s. It has been well maintained and retains its material, design and setting apart from the loss of its pedestrian sidewalk. It was evaluated at the local level for its engineering significance.
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 90000400, listed March 20, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Over the Juniata River, N of Birmingham off PA 350, Birmingham |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000400 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | Penn Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | A 1987 inspection found the structure in good condition; it was sandblasted and painted in 1978. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.64893, -78.19891 (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 90000400.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4916626
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.