Meyers, Albertus L., Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1913 across the Little Lehigh, railroad and city streets in Allentown, the Meyers Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch structure, also known as the Eighth Street Bridge. Its nine main arches each span 120 feet, and eight approach spans of 525 feet each bring the total length to 2,650 feet. Each thin arch supports nine smaller spandrel arches, and the ornamental detailing of its piers and light posts adds to its appearance. The bridge was conceived and begun in 1900 and was designed by B.H. Davis of New York, with McArthur Brothers as builder. It was first built as a toll bridge for a trolley company, carrying trolleys and other vehicles. When completed it was said to be the longest and highest reinforced concrete bridge in the world. It is regarded as an important early example of progressive concrete design and construction. The State highway department bought it in the 1930s, and the roadway was widened in 1973.
Significance in brief: The form argues the bridge is an important long-span open-spandrel bridge and the earliest monumental concrete bridge in the nomination. It is described as the earliest multiple-span open-spandrel arch bridge among Pennsylvania Department of Transportation-owned bridges. It was built as a toll bridge for a trolley company and is said to have been the longest and highest reinforced concrete bridge in the world at the time of 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 88000870, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Eighth St. over Little Lehigh and Railroad Sts., Allentown |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000870 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1913 |
| Architect / builder | B.H. Davis of New York (designer/engineer); McArthur Brothers (builder/contractor); Allentown Bridge Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; widened in 1973 and purchased by the State highway department in the 1930s. Currently used for vehicular traffic. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 40.59604, -75.47070 (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 88000870.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4712292
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.