Himmel's Church Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1874 by Peter Keefer, Himmel's Church Covered Bridge is a single-span covered timber truss bridge near Rebuck in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. It crosses Schwaben Creek, formerly known as Green Briar Creek, on a clear span of 28 feet 8 inches between stone masonry abutments, with a total length of 44 feet. The roadway inside the structure is 13 feet 6 inches wide, and the floor is laid with 3-inch transverse planks of varying widths. A multiple kingpost design was used because the span was short. The bridge is one of seven pre-1930 covered bridges in the county nominated as a group to represent 19th-century wood bridge construction and its role in developing local transportation networks. Its basic design has not been altered. Recent repairs were made to the lower chords on the south side, and the bridge is in fair overall condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as one of seven pre-1930 covered bridges in the Northumberland County thematic group, illustrating wood bridge technology of the 19th century. It is described as built in 1874 by Peter Keefer with no modifications to its basic design.
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 79002312, listed August 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Rebuck on T 442, Washington Township, Rebuck |
|---|---|
| County | Northumberland County |
| Listed | August 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002312 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Peter Keefer |
| Architectural style | Multiple kingpost covered timber truss |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Lower chords on the south side were recently repaired; overall condition is fair. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.72318, -76.71962 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 79002312.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5765408
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.