Sprowl's Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
Sprowl's Covered Bridge crosses Rocky Run, a branch of Wheeling Creek, near West Finley in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1875, it is a kingpost truss bridge with a length of 27 feet 6 inches and a road surface width of 12 feet 7 inches. Its sides are vertical board siding under a tin-covered gable roof, and square windows are cut into each sidewall. The bridge is one of a group of covered bridges in Washington and Greene Counties that together illustrate the wood truss technology once common across Pennsylvania. The group is valued because a comparatively high share of these bridges has survived in these rural counties. The structure's simple truss type and local design features give it a place in that record of regional construction. The surviving bridge is recorded in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination treats the bridge as one of a group of covered bridges in Washington and Greene Counties that illustrate wood truss construction technology. It notes a comparatively high survival rate for this bridge type in these rural counties. The bridge is described as a multiple property listing within the thematic group.
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 79002365, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off PA 231, West Finley |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002365 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition recorded as good. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.01084, -80.40681 (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 79002365.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7581376
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.