Bollman, W., and Company Bridge
Why it's listed
A 93-foot single-span Warren truss bridge crossing Wills Creek in Summit Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was built as a railroad bridge on the Pittsburgh Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the firm W. Bollman and Company is credited as its builder. The structure uses cast iron for some compression members and the ornate end pieces and lacework, while wrought iron forms the tension members, end posts and Phoenix columns. Wendel Bollman, a self-taught engineer from Baltimore who had worked for the Baltimore and Ohio from 1828, developed the iron bridging systems that the firm built. Of the seven bridges the company built for the Pittsburgh Branch, this is the only one still known to survive. Around 1910 the bridge was moved to its present site and converted for automobile traffic, a change that reflects the limits of the Warren truss under heavy loads.
Significance in brief: The bridge is the only one still known to survive of seven built by W. Bollman and Company for the Pittsburgh Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio. It is a rare surviving example of the firm's iron bridge work, which followed the career of Wendel Bollman, an engineer credited with developing a working iron bridging system for American railroads. The bridge is also linked to the transition from railroad to automobile use around 1910.
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 78002471, listed November 8, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1.5 mi. (2.4 km) N of Myersdale on U.S. 219, Meyersdale |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset County |
| Listed | November 8, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002471 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1871 |
| Architect / builder | W. Bollman & Company |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved to its present location around 1910 and converted to automobile traffic; described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.82997, -79.04255 (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 78002471.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8022471
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.