English Center Suspension Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 across Pine Creek at English Center in Lycoming County, this suspension bridge carries Legislative Route 41021 over a deep, wide ravine in mountainous country. It replaced crossings lost in a flood that swept through the village and destroyed the area's bridges and many homes. The bridge has a single 300-foot span with steel towers of plate and lattice work, eye-bar main members, and a continuous girder suspended from them. It has an under-clearance of 12 feet and an open steel deck 15 feet wide, with crossbracing in each panel for stiffness. The bridge was designed and built by Dean & Westerbrooke, engineers and contractors of New York, who also designed the Walnut Street Bridge at Harrisburg. Its importance lies in its engineering: it is regarded as a fine example of a small suspension bridge in Pennsylvania, a type otherwise found mainly in large examples at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a fine example of a small suspension bridge in Pennsylvania, where such bridges are relatively rare and the most important ones are in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and are much larger. It was built as a replacement after a June 1890 flood destroyed the area's bridges, and it is linked to the engineering firm Dean & Westerbrooke, who also designed the Walnut Street Bridge at Harrisburg.
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 78002428, listed December 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Over Pine Creek, English Center |
|---|---|
| County | Lycoming County |
| Listed | December 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002428 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | Dean & Westerbrooke (engineers and contractors of New York) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked as good on the form. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.43476, -77.28882 (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 78002428.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5378202
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.