Packsaddle Bridge
Why it's listed
Packsaddle Bridge is a covered timber bridge carrying a local road over Brush Creek about three miles southwest of Glen Savage and two miles northwest of Fairhope in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The structure is a multiple king post truss, a form built from vertical posts and diagonal members that spreads load along the span. The form dates its construction to 1870 and records the builder as unknown. The bridge measures 48 feet along the end posts and 14 feet in width, with an overhead clearance of 11 feet 2 inches and a rated load capacity of 3 tons. Its sides are closed with full vertical plank siding, and it rests on large cut stone abutments. The bridge is one of a group of covered bridges in Somerset County that were nominated together, and it is listed for its surviving construction and its place within that group.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as a short multiple king post bridge with full vertical plank siding and large cut stone abutments. It is one of the covered bridges in Somerset County nominated as a thematic group. The form records its condition as very good.
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 80003629, listed December 10, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Glen Savage off LR 55005, Fairhope Township, Glen Savage |
|---|---|
| County | Somerset County |
| Listed | December 10, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003629 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as very good; the form does not state current use. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 39.86775, -78.81724 (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 80003629.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7123038
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.