Dreese's Covered Bridge
Also known as: Beavertown Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Dreese's or Beavertown Covered Bridge is a Burr truss covered bridge crossing Middle Creek near Beavertown in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. Its inventory entry dates it to about 1870. The bridge has a road surface about 14 feet 8 inches wide and an end post length of 95 feet. It has vertical board siding, open windows near the eaves and a gable roof. Its abutments and deck were built to carry a load of two tons. The bridge is one of a group of covered bridges in Juniata and Snyder counties, and it is a surviving example of a bridge type that was common in rural Pennsylvania in the late nineteenth century but has become increasingly rare. Its significance lies in its construction and in its place in the transportation history of the state and the development of rural road networks in the two counties. The inventory records its condition as good.
Significance in brief: The nomination treats the bridge as one of the covered bridges of Juniata and Snyder counties that are significant as embodiments of a type of construction common in their period, now increasingly rare. Its listing is tied to the history of transportation in Pennsylvania and to the development of rural road networks in the two counties.
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 79002343, listed August 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Spans Middle Creek, Beaver Township, Beavertown |
|---|---|
| County | Snyder County |
| Listed | August 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002343 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | c. 1870 |
| Architectural style | Burr truss covered bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.77528, -77.14482 (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 79002343.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5306857
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.