Bridge in Upper Merion Township
Why it's listed
Built over Gulph Creek on South Gulph Road in Gulph Mills, Upper Merion Township, this single-span stone arch bridge carries vehicle traffic across a small suburban valley. A date stone set in the bridge gives the year 1789 and reads 'In the 2nd Year of the Federal Union.' The arch is about 20 feet across and was built of semi-coursed rubble masonry, with a total length of roughly 100 feet including its wing walls. Its builder is not recorded. Repairs have been made over nearly two centuries of highway use, including rebuilt sections of the stone walls dated by an 1884 stone in the parapet and a cement-parged south arch ring. Even so, the structure looks much as it did when first built. It is valued as one of the oldest surviving bridges in Pennsylvania and as a clear example of 18th century bridge construction in the state.
Significance in brief: The bridge is described as one of the oldest extant bridges in Pennsylvania, with a date stone reading 1789 'In the 2nd Year of the Federal Union'. Later repairs, including an 1884 rebuilding of portions of the stone walls and cement parging of the south arch ring, leave its overall appearance much as it was in 1789. It is presented as an important example of 18th century bridge construction in Pennsylvania.
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 88000832, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S. Gulph Rd. over Gulph Creek, Gulph Mills |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000832 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1789 |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In vehicular use as a highway bridge. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.06892, -75.34064 (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 88000832.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.