Bailey Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 by Bailey Brothers, the Bailey Covered Bridge crosses Ten Mile Creek in Amwell Township, Washington County, near the village of Prosperity. It is a Burr truss structure with a span of 66 feet and a road surface 15 feet wide. Its cut stone abutments are still in place, while steel beams and a mid-stream concrete pier now give additional support to the span. The bridge has vertical board siding, a tin-covered gable roof, and two windows on each side wall. It is one of a group of covered bridges in Washington and Greene Counties that were gathered in a single listing. The nomination regards these bridges as representative examples of wood bridge building in rural Pennsylvania, where covered bridges were once a common type. Its simple truss design and local construction features are cited as the reasons for its recognition. The bridge is in good condition and remains a surviving example of this regional tradition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as an important example of vernacular wood bridge technology, embodying the characteristics of covered bridge construction. It notes that covered bridges were once a common bridge type in Pennsylvania and that these surviving examples in the two rural counties illustrate the type's construction and the simplicity of its truss designs and local design features.
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 79002355, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Spans Ten Mile Creek, Prosperity |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002355 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Architect / builder | Bailey Brothers (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition given as good; the bridge has steel beams and a mid-stream concrete pier supporting the cut stone abutments and span. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.02064, -80.19556 (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 79002355.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4848342
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.