Cold Spring Bridge
Why it's listed
Whitehall Township's Cold Spring Bridge is a concrete open-spandrel arch carrying vehicular traffic across Spring Creek on Second Street. Completed in 1930 and built by Dawes & Norris, the single span measures 160 feet and is flanked by approach spans totaling four spans of 17 feet each. Six symmetrically placed spandrel arches open the structure above the arch ribs. Its arch ribs, spandrel posts, brackets, concrete rails and transverse arches are all molded into simple decorative shapes, a level of ornament the nomination treats as unusual for this bridge type. The bridge is considered a representative example of open-spandrel arch construction and a continuation of concrete design traditions in Pennsylvania highway bridges. It is regarded as finely ornamented and well preserved. Its listing is grounded in engineering significance, and it is one of fifteen bridges of this type evaluated together as part of a multiple-resource group of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway bridges.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a representative example of the open-spandrel arch type. Its molded decorative elements on arch ribs, spandrel posts, brackets, rails and transverse arches are presented as a continuation of attractive concrete design in Pennsylvania highway bridges. The form describes it as finely ornamented and well preserved, and argues it warrants listing under the Engineering area of significance.
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 88000874, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Second St. over Spring Creek, North Hampton |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000874 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1930 |
| Architect / builder | Dawes & Norris (builder/contractor) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unaltered, original site, in use for vehicular traffic |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70080, -75.51665 (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 88000874.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5142347
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.