Bridge 634, Northern Central Railway
Why it's listed
Bridge 634 is a single-span masonry arch railroad bridge in Shrewsbury Township, York County, Pennsylvania, built around 1871 to carry a double set of tracks of the Northern Central Railway over a roadway and Codorus Creek. Its abutments and spandrels are brown limestone ashlar, and the arch is built of stepped brownstone voussoirs. One end was originally lined with five rowlock courses of brick, though only the bricks at the eastern entrance remain intact, and the rest of the arch is now lined with corrugated metal. The nomination notes that a spanning arrangement of this kind over both water and road is uncommon on southern York County rail lines, with only two comparable examples on the route. The bridge is significant for its transportation role. The Northern Central provided a link for farmers and merchants of southern and eastern York County to markets in Baltimore and Philadelphia. The structure is also the one bridge on the line that dates from its early history, while most others were replaced during later widening. It remains in periodic freight and excursion use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is one of very few masonry arch bridges of its kind in southern York County, spanning both a waterway and a roadway. It is also presented as the surviving early structure on a line whose other bridges were largely replaced in later widening and updating campaigns. Its association with the development of rail transport linking York County to Baltimore and Philadelphia is cited as a reason for listing.
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 95000543, listed May 4, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Northern Central RR tracks over unnamed rd. and Codorus Cr., Shrewsbury Township, Railroad |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | May 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000543 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1871 - 1942 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The railroad is used periodically for freight and train excursions, and the bridge is described as in good condition with its integrity retained despite alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.77320, -76.72026 (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 95000543.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4966201
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.