Beatty Mills Bridge

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: July 2, 2006

This extremely rare and significant bridge is slated for replacement!

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Type	Road	Location	City	Crossing
Beatty Mills Bridge	Truss	Beatty Mill Road	Armstrong County, PA	Rural	Buffalo Creek

Technical Facts

Construction Date	Rehabilitation Date	Structure Length	Deck Width	Builder
c. 1875	1991	86 Feet	14 Feet	Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio

The only thing that Pennsylvania and Preservation have in common is the same first letter.

Bowstring truss bridges are rarer on today's roads than wooden covered bridges, yet the bowstrings continue to be demolished. This bridge will only be spared demolition if a third party can choke up the funds needed to relocate and restore this bridge elsewhere. For a bridge that is this significant, taxpayer money should be used to either restore this bridge for continued light vehicular use, or bypassed by a new alignment and the old bridge be restored for pedestrian use. We should not have to rely on the generosity of a non-government party to save this bridge. I actually don't think it would be as costly as replacement to simply restore this bridge for vehicular traffic.

This bridge is an excellent example of the Wrought Iron Bridge Company's design for a bowstring truss bridge. Although no specific construction date could be located, truss bridges of this design generally date to the 1870s. Typical of the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, this bowstring features Keystone Columns for a top chord. Star-shaped iron members are present on the bridge, as well as lattice on the verticals/outriggers.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

The ca. 1875, 86'-long bowstring pony truss bridge is supported on ashlar abutments with wingwalls. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1991 when two verticals were replaced. The bridge is a remarkably complete and important example of an early metal truss bridge, and it is historically and technologically significant. It has all of the features described in Wrought Iron Bridge Company's 1874 catalogue for a column iron arch bridge.

Discussion of Surrounding Area

The bridge carries 1 lane of TR 659, an unimproved township road, over a stream in a rural area of active farms at the Y intersection with TR 625.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes