Appomatix River Bridge
Also known as: Route 24 Bridge; Structure No. 1002; Vdhr 006-0048
Why it's listed
Carrying Route 24 over the Appomattox River inside Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, this 1930 concrete bridge looks ordinary in structure but not in decoration. It is a single-span T-beam bridge, 33 feet long, built from standard Virginia highway plans. Its cast-in-place rails alternate panels with stylized designs recalling the Confederate battle flag and the Union's stars and stripes, and four concrete obelisks mark the corners. State Bridge Engineer William Roy Glidden is credited with the design. The bridge was built with the Appomattox Wayside, the first developed wayside park in Virginia, in the year the Court House site was designated a War Department battlefield site. Of seven pre-1950 non-arched concrete bridges inventoried in the county, it alone earned the top grade for distinguishing features. A 1970-1971 widening preserved the original railings by resetting them and replicating the obelisks. It is listed for its architecture and its role in transportation, and it still carries traffic.
Significance in brief: The bridge is argued to be an especially unique example of a common concrete bridge type, built from standard plans but with cast-in-place rails that recall the Confederate battle flag and the Union stars and stripes. It was the only pre-1950 non-arched concrete bridge in Appomattox County to receive an A grade, and it was part of the first developed wayside park in Virginia. It retains high integrity despite a 1971 widening.
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 05000771, listed July 27, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 24 over Appomattox River, Appomattox |
|---|---|
| County | Appomattox County |
| Listed | July 27, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000771 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1930 - 1955 |
| Architect / builder | William R. Glidden, Designer; Virginia State Highway Commission, Builder |
| Architectural style | Other |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in service today and receives periodic maintenance; widened from 30 to 38 feet in 1970-1971 with original railings reset and obelisks recast. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Appomattox Court House National Historical Park |
| Coordinates | 37.38387, -78.78907 (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 05000771.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711970
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.