Linville Creek Bridge
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Why it's listed
Linville Creek Bridge carries State Route 1421 over Linville Creek just south of Broadway in Rockingham County, Virginia. Built in 1898 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, it is a single-span metal truss 133 feet 4 inches long. The design is a double-intersection Whipple type, in effect a hybrid that draws on structural aspects of both the double-intersection Pratt and Warren trusses. The top chords and end posts are paired upright channels joined by cover plates and lacing bars, and the posts are paired back-to-back angles with triple rectilinear eye bars. The truss is very tall, about 24 feet, compared with its 13-foot width, which gives it a narrow, attenuated look. It rests on a coursed limestone substructure of random-tooled ashlar and has simple wooden side railings. The bridge is considered probably the only double-intersection Whipple-type truss in Virginia, and its length is unusual for a single span. A state engineering rating gave it 21.0 of a possible 27.0 points.
Significance in brief: The bridge is a good example of a hybrid truss that combines structural features of the double-intersection Pratt and Warren types. It is probably the only double-intersection Whipple-type truss in Virginia. Its 134-foot length is also very unusual for a single-span structure.
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 78003042, listed April 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Broadway on SR 1421, Broadway |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | April 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003042 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | Wrought Iron Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Double-intersection Whipple-type truss (hybrid of double-intersection Pratt and Warren) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Engineering, Transportation, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unaltered and owned by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation; used for transportation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.60624, -78.80329 (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 78003042.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15242434
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.