St. Mary's Covered Bridge
Also known as: Shade Gap Covered Bridge; Bridge No. 8
Why it's listed
Built in 1889, the St. Mary's or Shade Gap covered bridge crosses Shade Creek on township route 358 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is a single span measuring 654 feet long and 16 feet 6 inches wide, carried on cut stone abutments. Its gable roof is covered in tin, and the Howe truss is partly enclosed by side walls with vertical exterior siding and horizontal interior walls. The Howe truss was patented in 1840 by William Howe, and its iron rods replaced a heavy timber post as tension members. Daniel Stone, Howe's brother-in-law, held the Pennsylvania rights and was responsible for many of the state's Howe bridges. The bridge is the only covered bridge remaining in Huntingdon County and one of only four Howe truss covered bridges left in Pennsylvania. Its rarity is the main reason for its listing. The bridge was repaired and painted in 1974 and is in excellent condition. It carries a load limit of two tons.
Significance in brief: The bridge is described as the only remaining covered bridge in Huntingdon County and one of only four Howe truss covered bridges left in Pennsylvania. The Howe truss used iron rods as tension members, and its use for covered bridges in Pennsylvania is described as unusual.
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 80003503, listed March 20, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4.5 mi S of Orbisonia on U.S. 522, Orbisonia |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003503 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Howe truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; repaired and painted in 1974; altered. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.20586, -77.87795 (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 80003503.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7590263
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.