Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass
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Why it's listed
Carrying Route 653 over the Southern Railway southwest of Shipman, this bridge is a single-span Pratt through truss built in 1882 by the Keystone Bridge Company. The truss spans 100 feet, with two 19-foot wooden beam approach spans. Its top chords are upright channels joined by cover plates and lacing bars, while the posts are paired vertical channels. The bottom chords and diagonals use die-forged double rectilinear eye bars. Abutments are rubble stone masonry with concrete facing, and the piers are concrete with wooden bents. A bridge plate bears an open-work 9 flanked by 18 and 82, marking the year of construction. The bridge was surveyed in 1976 as part of a study of metal truss bridges in Virginia and scored 21.0 of a possible 27.0 points on the study's significance criteria. Reviewers described it as a good example of a Keystone Bridge Company truss and noted that it is one of only two in the state according to the Historic American Engineering Record. It remains in excellent, unaltered condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a good example of a Keystone Bridge Company truss, rated 21.0 out of 27.0 points under a state research council's bridge criteria. Reviewer notes say it is one of only two of its type in Virginia according to HAER. Areas of significance checked are engineering, transportation, commerce, communications and industry.
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 78003033, listed April 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Shipman on VA 653, Shipman |
|---|---|
| County | Nelson County |
| Listed | April 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003033 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1882 |
| Architect / builder | Keystone Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and unaltered, on its original site; used for transportation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.70322, -78.87083 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 78003033.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712993
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.