Goshen Land Company Bridge
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Why it's listed
Carrying Route 746 over the Calfpasture River near Goshen, this two-span through Pratt truss bridge was built in 1890 by the Groton Bridge Company for the Goshen Land and Improvement Company. The spans measure 138 feet 10 inches and 120 feet 10 inches, and the structure sits on a 30-degree skew, which the nomination calls very unusual for bridges of this size in Virginia. Decorative details include ornate portal cresting, finials on the end posts, and latticed portal struts, set against a plain two-pipe railing. The substructure is coursed, tooled limestone ashlar. A sign on the bridge names the company officers. The bridge dates from a valley boom, when Goshen's developers hoped the town would become the Birmingham of America. A state rating scored it 24.0 of 27.0 points, and it was judged an excellent representative example of an important truss type in Virginia that also reflects the regional boom.
Significance in brief: The bridge is cited as an excellent representative example of an important truss type in Virginia and as evidence of the regional boom of the period. Its 30-degree skew is described as very unusual for bridges of this size in Virginia. It also carries an ornate cresting sign listing the officers of the Goshen Company, and it scored 24.0 of a possible 27.0 points in a state research council rating.
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 78003041, listed May 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Goshen on VA 746, Goshen |
|---|---|
| County | Rockbridge County |
| Listed | May 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003041 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1890 |
| Architect / builder | Groton Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Through Pratt truss |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation; the form marks it as occupied, in transportation use, with unrestricted access. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.98545, -79.49395 (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 78003041.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15221934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.