Valley Road Bridge, Stewartstown Railroad
Why it's listed
Along the route of the Stewartstown Railroad in Shrewsbury Township stands a bridge built in 1885 from a truss originally made by the Keystone Bridge Company of Pittsburgh. The truss had been used on a railroad in western Pennsylvania before being brought to York County. It is a Pratt design with twenty-two vertical braces and steel rods tying them together, supported on field stone abutments. By 1920 the truss had weakened, and steel girders salvaged from a Tyrone and Clearfield line bridge were placed on top of the abutments, which were extended with concrete. The truss was left in place. The bridge combines two types of construction in one structure, which makes it a locally important example of railroad bridge engineering. Truss bridges of this kind are uncommon in York County. The Stewartstown Railroad, a short line of 7.2 miles, carried goods for merchants east of New Freedom to the Northern Central Railway, giving the bridge its transportation significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is a locally important example of railroad bridge engineering because it combines two types of construction in one structure. Its truss is uncommon in York County, and it is one of only two trusses of this style on the railroads surveyed. It is also significant for its association with the Stewartstown Railroad's transportation of goods.
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 95000552, 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 Valley Rd., Hopewell Township, Stewartstown |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | May 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000552 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1885-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Keystone Bridge Company (fabricator of the original truss) |
| Architectural style | Pratt truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The railroad is still used periodically for freight and train excursions, and the bridge remains in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.75533, -76.60939 (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 95000552.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7912192
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.