Witherup Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 by the Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, the Witherup Bridge is a single-span steel pony truss carrying vehicular traffic over Scrubgrass Creek in Clinton Township, Venango County. The span measures 86 feet overall, and the nominated property, including wing walls, is a rectangle 96 feet long and 25 feet wide. The bridge uses a Pratt truss configuration. Its distinguishing features are vertical end posts and riveted joints, which are regarded as unusual within the group of Pratt pony trusses in the state. The nomination identifies it as the only twentieth-century example among the seven Pratt pony trusses included in the Highway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania multiple property listing. Its significance rests on engineering, as an uncommon surviving design of its type. The bridge retains its original form and is documented with a bridge plaque dating its construction.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is an unusual example of the Pratt pony truss type. It is described as the only example of a Pratt pony truss with vertical end posts and the only pony truss with riveted joints. It is also the only twentieth-century example among the seven Pratt pony trusses in the multiple property group. The area of significance is 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 88000800, 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 60007 over Scrubgrass Creek, Kennerdell |
|---|---|
| County | Venango County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000800 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | Canton Bridge Company (bridge company) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unaltered, as marked on the form's integrity check; the overall condition rating is not clearly recorded in the OCR text. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.25496, -79.84066 (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 88000800.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8028177
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.