Bridge in Heidelberg Township
Why it's listed
A single span stone arch bridge of coursed rubble masonry carries vehicular traffic over Jordan Creek in Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County. Built about 1887, it has a main span of 32 feet and a overall length of 94 feet, with a semi-circular masonry arch and an open spandrel form. The bridge is one of three stone bridges in Lehigh County nominated together, all built in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Its builder and designer are not identified in the record. The bridge is considered a typical example of the small stone arch structures that once carried horse and automobile traffic across the many streams of Lehigh County. It retains very good integrity, with the exception of underpinning added at some later point. Its significance rests on engineering and transportation history, as it is the single representative of this bridge type included in the nomination. The nominated area is less than one acre and includes only the superstructure and substructure.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a typical small nineteenth century single span stone arch bridge with very good integrity. It is the only nominated representative of the small single span stone bridges that have carried horse and automobile traffic over the many streams in Lehigh County. Two other stone bridges in the county are included in the same nomination, all built in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Significance is listed under engineering and transportation.
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 88000765, 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 39110 over branch of Jordan Creek, Germansville |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000765 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70080, -75.70983 (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 88000765.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966360
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.