Watts Mill Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Watts Mill Bridge is a pin-connected Pratt pony truss bridge
located over the Little Beaver Creek
in Cannelton
, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
The bridge was constructed in 1878 by the West Penn Bridge Company, based in nearby New Brighton
. The bridge is located in a valley approximately a quarter mile north of the North Country Trail
. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988. When the bridge was given this designation by the NRHP, it was simply known as the Bridge in South Beaver Township. It is the only bridge in Beaver County
on the National Register.
In 2004, the bridge, which was becoming rusty and falling into disrepair and considered for demolition by PennDOT
, was placed on the Top Ten Best Historic Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area by the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh. No major renovations have been done to the bridge.
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
located over the Little Beaver Creek
Little Beaver Creek
The Little Beaver Creek is a wild and scenic area in Ohio. The Little Beaver Creek watershed is located primarily in Columbiana County in northeast Ohio, and in portions of Carroll County, Mahoning County, and western Pennsylvania, draining approximately 605 mi² , of which 503 mi² are in Ohio...
in Cannelton
Cannelton, Pennsylvania
Cannelton, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community located in Darlington Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Settled in 1795, the Darlington Cannel Coal Railroad was built there starting in 1852 eventually connecting to the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Galilee, Pennsylvania...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The bridge was constructed in 1878 by the West Penn Bridge Company, based in nearby New Brighton
New Brighton, Pennsylvania
New Brighton is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. There are deposits of coal and clay in the vicinity. In the past, articles produced here included pottery, bricks, sewer pipe, glass, flour, twine, lead kegs,...
. The bridge is located in a valley approximately a quarter mile north of the North Country Trail
North Country Trail
The North Country National Scenic Trail , which stretches approximately from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota in the United States, is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress...
. 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. When the bridge was given this designation by the NRHP, it was simply known as the Bridge in South Beaver Township. It is the only bridge in Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
on the National Register.
In 2004, the bridge, which was becoming rusty and falling into disrepair and considered for demolition by PennDOT
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...
, was placed on the Top Ten Best Historic Preservation Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Area by the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh. No major renovations have been done to the bridge.
See also
- List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Beaver County, PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Beaver County, PennsylvaniaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States...