Old Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville, this concrete highway bridge was completed in 1930 to a design by James B. Long, with Wiley-Maxon Construction Co. as contractor. It has 48 spans in total, including 28 three-ribbed open-spandrel reinforced concrete arches over the river, each spanning 185 feet, and it measures about 6,657 feet long. Its river piers are unreinforced concrete. The arch surfaces are scored to imitate voussoirs, and the solid parapet carries ornate light posts. Because of its length, the builders devised a construction system using reusable steel forms and a parallel construction railway. The bridge was regarded as the longest multiple arch concrete bridge in the world when completed. It was dedicated on Armistice Day, 1930, in memory of local citizens who served in war. It replaced earlier covered and metal truss bridges at the crossing, the first of which dated from 1812.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is important for its engineering and transportation role. When completed, it was described as the longest multiple arch concrete bridge in the world. A distinctive construction system with reusable steel forms and a parallel construction railway was devised for its building. It is the fifth bridge at this river crossing, following earlier covered and metal truss bridges.
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 88000764, 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 128 over Susquehanna River and RR, Columbia |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000764 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1929-1930 |
| Architect / builder | James B. Long (designer/engineer); Wiley-Maxon Construction Co. (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vehicular use; the form marks use as vehicular both present and original. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 40.03056, -76.51103 (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 88000764.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3396511
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.