Bridge 5+92, Northern Central Railway
Why it's listed
Bridge 5+92 is a single-span riveted steel girder deck railroad bridge in the borough of Seven Valleys, York County, Pennsylvania, where it carries the Northern Central Railway over Main Street. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company built it in 1900, and it was designed for a double track although only one set of rails remains. Five riveted steel girders rest on stepped abutments of large granite ashlar, which also retain the railroad grade. The abutments may be original to a trestle bridge built when the line was first laid, so the structure may reflect at least two periods of railroad construction. The Northern Central Railway linked the farms and merchants of southern and eastern York County to the Baltimore and Philadelphia markets from the mid-nineteenth century onward. The bridge is important as a representative example of the riveted girder type of railroad bridge. Its five-girder arrangement differs from the two-girder design common among other York County bridges. The structure is in good condition and retains much of its historic integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant as an example of the riveted girder type of railroad bridge and as part of the Northern Central Railway, which linked southern and eastern York County to Baltimore and Philadelphia markets. Its five girders, where comparable bridges in the county have two, and its stone abutments, which may survive from an earlier trestle, are cited as reflecting at least two periods of railroad construction. It is described as being in good condition with much of its historic integrity retained.
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 95000548, listed May 4, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Northern Central RR tracks over S. Main St., N of Rt. 214, Seven Valleys |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | May 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000548 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Pennsylvania Railroad Company (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The bridge remains in use through periodic freight movement and train excursions and is in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.85424, -76.77126 (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 95000548.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966200
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.