Ridge Road Bridge, Stewartstown Railroad
Why it's listed
Ridge Road Bridge is a girder bridge that carries the Stewartstown Railroad over Ridge Road in Hopewell Township, York County, Pennsylvania. The railroad company built it around 1895 to replace a trestle bridge put up when the line was laid in 1885. Two riveted steel I-beams rest on high stone abutments that also serve as retaining walls for the railroad grade, and the abutments were reused from the earlier trestle. The bridge is 72 1/2 feet long and ten feet wide. Its riveted construction, with several pieces joined to form one girder, predates the rolling method that produced single-piece girders, and few such bridges remain in York County. The Stewartstown Railroad, seven miles long, linked farms and merchants east of New Freedom Borough to the Northern Central Railway. The bridge is in good condition, and the only visible problem is cracking and loosening of mortar joints in the abutments.
Significance in brief: The bridge is argued to be significant for its riveted girder construction, a method that preceded rolled single-piece steel girders and is uncommon among railroad bridges in York County. It also reflects the railroad's economical design and its role in transporting goods for merchants east of New Freedom Borough.
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 95000545, listed May 4, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Stewartstown RR tracks over Ridge Rd., Hopewell Township, Stewartstown |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | May 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000545 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | C. 1895 - 1942 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition; the railroad remains in use for freight hauling and excursions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.75979, -76.62561 (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 95000545.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7332703
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.