East Oriental Covered Bridge
Also known as: Sheaffer Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Over Mahantango Creek at Oriental in Juniata County stands a covered bridge built on the Burr truss system, with a 90-foot end post length and a road surface about 15 feet 6 inches wide. The structure has vertical siding, rectangular window openings at eave level and a gable roof, and its load limit is recorded as two tons. It is one of the covered bridges surveyed in Juniata and Snyder counties, where the type was once common but is now increasingly rare. Its significance lies in its representation of rural bridge construction and of the transportation network that developed across the two counties. Its condition is recorded as good, and it is used for storage. The bridge is also known by the name East Oriental/Sheaffer and is one of several surviving covered bridges in the region.
Significance in brief: The bridge is described as a surviving example of a type of construction common in its period that is now increasingly rare in the county. It is associated with the history of transportation in Pennsylvania and illustrates the development of rural bridge networks in Juniata and Snyder 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 79002246, listed August 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Oriental, Susquehanna/Perry Townships, Oriental |
|---|---|
| County | Juniata County |
| Listed | August 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002246 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Burr truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; the document notes the bridge is currently used for storage. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.63892, -77.00103 (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 79002246.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5329087
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.