Bridge in Franconia Township
Why it's listed
A multiple-span stone arch highway bridge over Skippack Creek on Allentown Road in Franconia Township, Montgomery County. Two stone plaques on its parapets date the original construction to 1837 and the reconstruction to 1874, when Montgomery County rebuilt it. Its two arch spans, each about 20 feet long, are flanked by long approach walls. The arch spans are set apart from the rest of the bridge by a small recessed section, which forms a rectangle across both arch crowns. The form notes that this treatment appears peculiar to Montgomery County, where five stone arch bridges share the design. The bridge is regarded as a representative example of nineteenth-century stone highway construction. The nomination groups it with ten stone bridges in Montgomery County, built between 1789 and 1910, as an illustration of continuing stone masonry bridge building in Pennsylvania. Its significance rests on engineering, and the wing walls have since been repaired.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a typical nineteenth-century stone highway bridge and an example of the stone masonry bridge tradition in Pennsylvania. Its two arch spans are set apart from the body of the bridge by a built-in recession, a feature the form says appears peculiar to Montgomery County. The area of significance is given as 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 88000856, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Allentown Rd. over Skippack Creek, Elvoy |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000856 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; repair to wing walls is noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.28840, -75.33855 (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 88000856.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966353
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.