Stone Arch Road Bridge, Stewartstown Railroad
Why it's listed
Built about 1895 by the Stewartstown Railroad Company in Shrewsbury Township, York County, this riveted steel girder bridge carries the railroad tracks over Stone Arch Road, which is no longer in use. Two riveted I-beams rest on stone abutments on either side of the roadway, and the abutments likely date from an earlier trestle bridge that the girder bridge replaced. The bridge is 27 1/2 feet long and is one of three girder bridges on the line. The Stewartstown Railroad was a short line of 7.2 miles that connected the borough and nearby merchants with the Northern Central Railway at New Freedom, and it operated with limited revenue. The bridge's fieldstone abutments, local wooden ties and simple design reflect the economical methods the company used. Its riveted girders are considered uncommon in York County, since they were built from several pieces joined together before rolling produced single-piece girders. The bridge remains in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant for its engineering as one of three girder bridges on the line and for its riveted girder construction, an older manufacturing method that preceded rolled single-piece girders. It also cites the bridge's economical construction, reflecting the limited revenue of a short railroad, and notes that its stone abutments may survive from an earlier trestle bridge, so the structure reflects two periods of railroad construction.
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 95000547, 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 Stone Arch Rd., Shrewsbury Township, Railroad |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | May 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000547 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | C. 1895 1940 |
| Architect / builder | Stewartstown Railroad Company (builder) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use, according to the description. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.75036, -76.68701 (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 95000547.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7618865
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.