Pine Grove Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Pine Grove Covered Bridge is a burr truss covered bridge that crosses Octoraro Creek on a county road between Little Britain Township in Lancaster County and East Nottingham Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Elias McMellen built it in 1884. The bridge has two burr arch spans and runs 204 feet in total length, with a roadway width of about 15 feet. Its two arches bow slightly. It is one of the longest covered bridges in Pennsylvania and is considered perhaps the only surviving example with features similar to the well-known camel back bridges. It was nominated as part of a group of Lancaster County covered bridges built in wood frame construction during the nineteenth century. The bridge is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and was recorded in fair condition.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of the longest covered bridges in the state and perhaps the only remaining one similar to the famous camel back bridges. Its two burr arch spans are noted for a slight bow. It is nominated as part of a multiple property group of covered bridges in Lancaster County built in 19th century wood frame construction.
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 80003521, listed December 11, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Kirkwood on LR 36018, Little Britain/East Nottingham Townships, Kirkwood |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | December 11, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003521 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Elias McMellen (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as fair; owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.79360, -76.04453 (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 80003521.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7195169
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.