City Line Avenue Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1913 over Indian Creek in Philadelphia, City Line Avenue Bridge is a solid concrete barrel arch bridge with a single main span of about 20 feet. Its massive structure is approached on curving wing walls capped with balustraded parapets, and its solid concrete walls carry a simple rusticated surface meant to resemble stone. Many concrete bridges of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries received similar stone-imitating finishes, but few show this degree of ornament. Here the courses are articulated, and the arch rings are incised to suggest voussoirs with a projecting keystone. The bridge is an example of early urban concrete engineering, and its decorative treatment is the basis for its importance. The nominated area is a rectangle of about 80 by 68 feet, covering only the superstructure and substructure. The bridge is recorded as unaltered. It was entered in the National Register in 1988 as part of a group of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation highway bridges.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a very fine example of an early, highly embellished urban concrete bridge. It is noted for ornamentation in both its configuration and detailing, and for a rusticated surface treatment meant to imitate stone. The arch rings are incised to represent voussoirs with a projecting keystone.
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 88000802, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | City Ave. over E branch of Indian Creek, Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000802 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unaltered, according to the integrity section of the form. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.98534, -75.25870 (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 88000802.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5123278
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.