Bridge in French Creek Township
Why it's listed
Two pin-connected steel spans carry vehicular traffic across French Creek in French Creek Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Decorative bridge plates record that the crossing was built in 1898 by the Columbia Bridge Works, a bridge company based in Ohio. The structure is a multiple-span Pratt through truss, a type with typical members and decorative portals. Its overall length is about 276.5 feet, and its stone piers and abutments support the steel superstructure. The bridge is regarded as an intact and very well preserved example of this truss type, which was commonly built in northwestern Pennsylvania. Its significance rests on its engineering value as a representative of that construction method in a multiple-span arrangement. A replacement deck was installed in 1981, but the superstructure retains its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as an intact example of a multiple-span Pratt through truss, with decorative portals and typical members. It is presented as a very well preserved representative of a bridge type used frequently in northwestern Pennsylvania, here in a multiple-span configuration. The area of significance is engineering.
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 88000862, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 43074 over French Creek, Carlton |
|---|---|
| County | Mercer County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000862 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deck replaced in 1981; the bridge remains in vehicular use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.47153, -80.01837 (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 88000862.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966356
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.