Pithole Stone Arch Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Pithole Stone Arch Bridge is a 37 feet (11.3 m) masonry
, deck arch bridge that spans Pithole Creek
between Cornplanter and President Townships, Venango County
in the U.S.
state of Pennsylvania
. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record
(HAER) in 1997.
ed Venango County to construct a bridge over Pithole Creek. It was decided that the county would assist the township by constructing the stone abutment
s and iron superstructure
, signing a contract to that effect on June 15, 1898. However, Venango County awarded a contract for a "stone bridge over Pithole Creek" to stonemason
Richard A. Bigley a month later. The bridge was deemed completed on January 3, 1899, however observers of the construction felt that the bridge was not built to specifications and would need to be eventually replaced. The observer, who cited concerns about inferior mortar
and that the arch was not large enough to accommodate flood
waters, demanded that Bigley be docked $50. The accusations were eventually withdrawn and Bigley received payment for the bridge—minus the $50 that was withheld by the county.
The bridge was owned by both townships until 1935, when the Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed an act turning over ownership of bridges on state routes to the predecessor to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
(PennDOT). One of the wing wall
s was replaced in 1949. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 22, 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in the summer of 1997.
, spanning 37 feet (11.3 m) over Pithole Creek. The bridge is unusual for its short span and a flat arch that rises only 6 in 7 in (2.01 m). Also unusual are the bridge's massive abutments and for its being well-built for only a rural backroad
. The bridge was constructed using ashlar
that was "coursed", meaning each successive layer of stone had a different height, but the stone in each layer had the same height. A total of 628 square perches (15,543 ft2; 1,444 m2) of sandstone
were used in the bridge.
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, deck arch bridge that spans Pithole Creek
Pithole Creek
Pithole Creek is a tributary of the Allegheny River in Northwest Pennsylvania in the United States. It has a drainage area of . Pithole Creek joins the Allegheny River approximately upstream of Oleopolis....
between Cornplanter and President Townships, Venango County
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
(HAER) in 1997.
History
On August 23, 1897, residents of Cornplanter and President Townships petitionPetition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
ed Venango County to construct a bridge over Pithole Creek. It was decided that the county would assist the township by constructing the stone abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s and iron superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
, signing a contract to that effect on June 15, 1898. However, Venango County awarded a contract for a "stone bridge over Pithole Creek" to stonemason
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
Richard A. Bigley a month later. The bridge was deemed completed on January 3, 1899, however observers of the construction felt that the bridge was not built to specifications and would need to be eventually replaced. The observer, who cited concerns about inferior mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
and that the arch was not large enough to accommodate flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
waters, demanded that Bigley be docked $50. The accusations were eventually withdrawn and Bigley received payment for the bridge—minus the $50 that was withheld by the county.
The bridge was owned by both townships until 1935, when the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
passed an act turning over ownership of bridges on state routes to the predecessor to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
(PennDOT). One of the wing wall
Wing wall
A wing wall is a smaller wall attached or next to a larger wall or structure.-Bridges:In a bridge, the wing walls are adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls.They are generally constructed of the same material as those of abutments...
s was replaced in 1949. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 22, 1988 and was documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in the summer of 1997.
Design
The Pithole Stone Arch Bridge is a segmental arch bridgeArch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
, spanning 37 feet (11.3 m) over Pithole Creek. The bridge is unusual for its short span and a flat arch that rises only 6 in 7 in (2.01 m). Also unusual are the bridge's massive abutments and for its being well-built for only a rural backroad
Backroad
A backroad is a secondary type of road.In North Carolina, where they are also referred to as "blue roads", the roads are often constructed of gravel, and are one or two-laned roads off of larger roads such as parkways....
. The bridge was constructed using ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
that was "coursed", meaning each successive layer of stone had a different height, but the stone in each layer had the same height. A total of 628 square perches (15,543 ft2; 1,444 m2) of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
were used in the bridge.
See also
- List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Venango County, PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Venango County, PennsylvaniaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Venango County, Pennsylvania.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States...