Schlicher Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Schlicher's Covered Bridge crosses Jordan Creek on L.R. 39058 in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1882 and uses a Burr truss, a wooden structural system that combines arches with a lattice of timbers. The bridge is 108 feet long and 17 feet wide, with a gable roof, vertical plank siding, and stone abutments that have been enclosed in cement. Each side wall has a small square window with a horizontal plank portal. The state highway department owns and maintains the bridge. It is described as the most recent of the remaining covered bridges in Lehigh County. Its construction is regarded as an example of 19th-century wooden bridge technology, and the bridge is part of a group of covered bridges in the Delaware River Watershed.
Significance in brief: The form states that it is the most recent of the remaining covered bridges in Lehigh County. Its Burr truss construction and vertical plank siding are presented as examples of wooden bridge technology from the 19th century, and the nomination is part of a thematic group of covered bridges in the Delaware River Watershed.
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 80003555, listed December 1, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | LR 39058, North Whitehall Township, Allentown |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | December 1, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003555 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good; the bridge is owned and maintained by the state highway department. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.66169, -75.62684 (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 80003555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7431709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.