Bridge in West Earl Township
Why it's listed
Built in 1917 over Conestoga Creek in West Earl Township, Lancaster County, this three-span concrete bridge carries vehicles on a crossing that is 134 feet long overall, with a main span of 66 feet and two side spans of 33 feet. The designer was F. N. Shaw and the contractor was P. D. Kauffman, whose name appears on the bridge plaque along with the county commissioners and county engineer. Its arched profile is classified with concrete solid barrel arches, yet its structure behaves like an early concrete cambered beam. This combination of two types of early twentieth-century concrete bridge is the main reason for its significance, and the engineering features are the basis of its listing. The solid end parapets give way to open railings over the span. The bridge is rural, set near the Brownstown Mill and other old buildings south of the crossing, and the nominated area covers only the superstructure and substructure within the wing walls.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the bridge is unusual because, although arched in shape, its structural function appears to be an early example of a concrete cambered beam. It is classified with the concrete solid barrel arches. The bridge is presented as a distinctive cross between these two early 20th-century concrete bridge types, which is the basis for listing under engineering.
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 88000875, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 36032 over Conestoga Creek, Brownstown |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000875 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1917 |
| Architect / builder | Shaw, F. N. (designer/engineer); P. D. Kauffman (builder/contractor) |
| Architectural style | Concrete solid barrel arch |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vehicular use, present and original |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.12842, -76.19987 (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 88000875.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966383
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.