Pennsylvania Railroad Old Bridge over Standing Stone Creek
Also known as: Conrail Old Bridge over Standing Stone Creek
Why it's listed
At the eastern end of Huntingdon Borough, a four-arch stone bridge of about 110 feet crosses Standing Stone Creek. The Pennsylvania Railroad built it in 1848-49 as its single track was laid through Huntingdon County. Contracts for the Huntingdon sections were let in May 1848, and the first train reached the town on June 6, 1850, with regular service beginning the next day. Rail service was important to local iron and flour industries. The bridge's semi-circular arches have smooth-faced voussoirs and keystones, with rock-faced stonework elsewhere. It was abandoned in 1892 when the main line moved onto the former Pennsylvania Canal bed just to the south. Its top courses and rails are gone, and shrubs and forsythia now cover the top. The structure is regarded as a good example of nineteenth-century multiple-span stone arch railroad bridge construction and retains good integrity of material, location and setting. It is significant for its role in transportation and engineering history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a good example of a nineteenth-century multiple-span stone arch railroad bridge and a fine example of early bridge construction used by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is linked to the early railroad service that supported local iron and flour industries. The bridge retains good integrity of material, location and setting.
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 90000410, listed March 20, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Penn St. over Standing Stone Creek, Huntingdon |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000410 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1848-1892 |
| Architectural style | Other: stone arch bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned in 1892 when the main line was relocated onto the former Pennsylvania Canal bed; top courses of stone and rails are gone and the top is planted with forsythia and small shrubs. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.48085, -78.00444 (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 90000410.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7164046
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.