Bridge in Clinton Township
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
A single-span Pratt through truss highway bridge crossing Scrubgrass Creek in Clinton Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania. The steel superstructure is 106 feet long overall, and the nominated area is a rectangle 136 feet by 25 feet, bounded by the outside corners of the wing walls. The bridge was built in 1887 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio, and its only decorative element is a bridge plate on the portal. Its steel members were produced in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Its significance rests on engineering: it is regarded as a representative example of the Pratt through truss type, which was used frequently in northwestern Pennsylvania. The bridge is considered well preserved as an example of that type. Alterations include a 1940 structural steel repair, the 1980 replacement of a cut stone box culvert with twin 48-inch metal pipe, and an asphalt overlay on the wooden deck.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes the bridge as a representative example of a Pratt through truss bridge, with typically configured members and a bridge plate on the portal as its only decorative feature. It is argued to be a well-preserved example of a bridge type used frequently in northwestern Pennsylvania, and the significance is listed under engineering.
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 88000808, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | LR 60010 over Scrubgrass Creek, Kennerdell |
|---|---|
| County | Venango County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000808 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1887 |
| Architect / builder | Smith Bridge Company, Toledo, Ohio |
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Asphalt overlay on the wooden deck; 1940 structural steel repair; 1980 removal of cut stone box and replacement with twin 48-inch metal pipe. Marked as altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.23816, -79.85409 (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 88000808.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966345
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.