Wilson's Mill Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
A wood covered bridge carrying a road across Cross Creek in Hopewell Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, built in 1889. It has a kingpost truss, a tin-covered gable roof, vertical siding and one large window on each side wall. The bridge measures about 35 feet along its end posts and has a road surface 13 feet wide. It is one of a group of covered bridges in Washington and Greene Counties recorded together under a single thematic listing. The bridges in the group are regarded as important examples of a once common bridge type in Pennsylvania, and the region keeps a comparatively high share of them. The group shows how this type of construction was adapted in rural counties, through simple truss designs and local design features. Listed in 1979 as part of that group, the Avella bridge is a surviving example of the regional tradition of timber covered bridges.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as one of a group of surviving wood covered bridges in the two counties, which it describes as an important example of a once common bridge type in Pennsylvania. The document notes the comparatively high survival rate of these structures in the region. The bridge is one of the group that illustrates the bridge type in terms of simple truss design and local 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 79003826, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SE of Avella crossing Cross Creek, Cross Creek Township, Avella |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003826 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.25432, -80.39846 (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 79003826.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8022918
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.