Home

Petroleum Center Bridge

Eagle Rock Road Bridge

   

Advertisements:

Promotions:   Chicago's Bridges   By Nathan Holth, author of HistoricBridges.org, this book provides a discussion of the history and virtual tour of Chicago's movable bridges. Dozens of photos.   Available Now Direct From The Publisher! The 5th Annual Historic Bridge Weekend will be held in Iowa and organized by The BridgeHunter's Chronicles this year from August 9th through the 11th. Details are available here.

Bridge Documented: July 1, 2006

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

View Photos and Videos

View and Link To Maps

Key Facts

	Bridge Name	Facility Carried / Feature Intersected	Location	Structure Type	Construction Date and Builder/Engineer
	Petroleum Center Bridge Eagle Rock Road Bridge	Eagle Rock Road (PA-1004) Over Oil Creek	Petroleum Center (Rural): Venango County, Pennsylvania	Metal 7 Panel Pin-Connected Pratt Through Truss, Fixed	1884 By Builder/Contractor: Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio

Technical Facts

Rehabilitation Date	Main Span Length	Structure Length	Roadway Width	Main Spans	NBI Number
1984	117 Feet (35.7 Meters)	239 Feet (35.7 Meters)	15.4 Feet (4.7 Meters)	2	601004001001960

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

This bridge is located in the center of Oil Creek State Park, and it is worthy contender for the park's prime attraction, and most certainly is a fitting centerpiece to the park. The bridge is an extremely rare surviving example of a bridge built by the Morse Bridge Company, and one of the only known surviving multi-span example's of the company's work. Surviving through truss bridges built by the Morse Bridge Company are highly significant since the company was noted for varying its aesthetic treatment from bridge to bridge and so individual surviving bridges may be unique, the only one of their kind. This appears to be the case with the Petroleum Center Bridge as its triangular design, pedimented portal bracing is unlike any other known bridge by the company, with the only thing coming close being the decorative portal bracing seen on Six Mile Creek Road in Michigan, although that bracing has a curved design.

The Petroleum Center Bridge also displays some of the unusual construction details of older Morse Bridge Company bridges, notably the omission of any struts or sway bracing and the use of heavier angle for lateral bracing to compensate for this design. The bridge also has the unusual cast iron washers for the pins that the company was noted for. One unusual construction detail on this bridge not found on other Morse Bridge Company bridges is the v-lacing design on the verticals. The lacing bars do not have the standard rounded ends and also there are two rivets at the end of each bar instead of the usual single rivet. Furthermore, the lacing bars do not overlap and share rivers. These three noted design details of the v-lacing are not normally found on highway truss bridges, but is more common on railroad bridges.

It is also a wonderfully ornate structure, with Both the Six Mile Creek Road and the Eagle Rock Bridge were built by the Morse Bridge Company. The Eagle Rock Bridge is a particularly stunning example of the company's work since it is a two-span structure. The bridge features unusual "railroad style" v-lacing on the vertical members. I have not seen this v-lacing style, which features a separate rivet for each lacing piece, on many pin connected highway truss bridges. Restoration should be considered a priority for this bridge, although I am doubtful that it is.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory Discussion of Bridge The 1884, pin connected, 2 span, 239'-long (2 @ 115'), Pratt thru truss bridge is supported on an ashlar substructure. The portal is detailed with corner brackets with pierced decoration and a lattice-filled pedimented top brace. The original floorbeams were built up sections, but a number of them and their hangers were replaced with rolled I sections in 1984. There are limited repairs to the verticals. The steel channel railings inside the truss lines were placed in 1947 as was the open grid steel deck. The bridge is historically and technologically significant as an early and fairly complete example of the important bridge type and as an example of the work of the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, OH. Discussion of Surrounding Area The bridge carries 1 lane of a road over a stream in Oil Creek State Park. The wooded setting with scattered, undistinguished 20th century residences does not have historic district potential. Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes

Photos and Videos: Petroleum Center Bridge

Available Photo Galleries and Videos

Click on a thumbnail or gallery name below to visit that particular photo gallery. If videos are available, click on a video name to view and/or download that particular video.

 

	Bridge Photo-Documentation Original / Full Size Photos	A collection of overview and detail photos. For the best visual immersion and full detail, or for use as a desktop background, this gallery presents the photos for this bridge in the original digital camera resolution.
	Bridge Photo-Documentation Mobile Optimized Gallery	A collection of overview and detail photos. View the photos for this bridge in a reduced size which is useful for mobile/smartphone users, modem (dial-up) users, or those who do not wish to wait for the longer download times of the full-size photos. Alternatively, view this photo gallery using a popup slideshow viewer (great for mobile users) by clicking the link below. Browse Gallery With Popup Viewer

View and Link To Maps

 

Home

Top