Wehr Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Wehr's Covered Bridge is a three-span Burr truss structure crossing Jordan Creek in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, near Orefield. Built in 1841, it measures about 117 feet along the span length and 17 feet in width, with an interior clearance of 11 feet 6 inches. It has a gable roof, random-width horizontal siding, and stone abutments and piers. The first few feet of the interior are lined with horizontal siding similar to that found on covered bridges in Bucks County. In 1965 steel reinforcements were added under the direction of a county contractor and engineers, and the bridge was recorded as being in excellent condition when listed. It is significant as an example of wooden covered bridge construction in the Delaware River Watershed, a group of related bridges that were reviewed together as a thematic set.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as an example of wooden covered bridge technology within the Covered Bridges of the Delaware River Watershed thematic group. Its horizontal siding at the interior entrances is said to resemble Bucks County covered bridges. The document records the bridge as being in excellent condition.
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 80003561, listed December 1, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Greenawald on T 597, South Whitehall Township, Orefield |
|---|---|
| County | Lehigh County |
| Listed | December 1, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003561 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architectural style | Burr truss covered bridge |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; strengthened in 1965 with steel reinforcements. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.56887, -75.50430 (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 80003561.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7979705
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.