Wright, Cerl, Covered Bridge
Why it's listed
A kingpost covered bridge spanning the North Fork of Pigeon Creek near Bentleyville, Washington County, Pennsylvania. The bridge is 26 feet long with a road surface 13 feet 4 inches wide. It has horizontal siding, a tin-covered gable roof, four window openings cut into the side walls, and stone abutments. It is one of a group of covered bridges in Washington and Greene Counties that were considered together for listing as a thematic group. The nomination regards the group as important examples of vernacular wood bridge construction in Pennsylvania, a type that was once common across the state. The surviving bridges in these rural counties are described as illustrating the simplicity of their truss designs and certain local details of construction. The bridge is part of a multiple property listing that covers these structures as a set.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the bridge as one of a comparatively large number of surviving covered bridges in these rural counties that illustrate the wood truss technology once common in Pennsylvania. It notes the bridges show the simplicity of the truss types and local design features. The form describes the group as important examples of vernacular structures.
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 79003832, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence low).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Bentleyville crossing North Fork of Pigeon Creek, Somerset Township, Bentleyville |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003832 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good for the related inventory entry; the bridge is listed as a kingpost truss with horizontal siding, a tin-covered gable roof, four window cuts and stone abutments. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.15909, -80.04867 (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 79003832.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5064512
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.