Kochendefer Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 by Adair Bros., this single-span covered bridge crosses Big Buffalo Creek in Saville Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania. It was constructed at a cost of $2,380 and carries a plank floor laid over a truss framework of King and Queen posts. The bridge is 92 feet long with a roadway 18 feet wide and a vertical clearance of 12 feet 6 inches. Its floor and framing were reinforced with four 24-inch I-beams, and a posted limit of 8 tons applies to vehicles crossing it. The bridge is one of a group of covered bridges in Adams, Cumberland and Perry Counties that were documented together. Its listing rests on its surviving construction and its role within that regional group of covered bridges, which shows how these structures were built and maintained in central Pennsylvania during the early twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The document describes it as one of the covered bridges of Adams, Cumberland and Perry Counties, a multiple-property group. Its significance rests on its construction as a Queen and King truss covered bridge. The nomination treats its integrity and condition as adequate for listing.
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 80003602, listed August 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Saville on T 332, Saville Township, Saville |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Listed | August 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003602 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Adair Bros. (builder) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.42431, -77.38716 (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 80003602.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6424832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.