Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 11/15/1977
NRHP Listing Date 04/15/1978
NRHP Reference Number 78003040
The mass-produced metal-truss bridges of the late 19th century were a remarkable technical innovation which made rural travel safer and led to the replacement of the majority of the earlier wooden covered bridges. Although sturdy and easily maintained, most of these graceful structures are too narrow to meet today’s safety standards and are in turn being supplanted by wider concrete bridges. Among the state’s best surviving examples of metal-truss bridges is the Nokesville Bridge in Prince William County, manufactured in 1882 by the Keystone Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, a pioneer in metal truss technology. The Nokesville Bridge consists of a single-span through-Pratt truss employing wrought-iron members. The Nokesville Truss Bridge was erected to cross a line of the Southern railroad and at the end of the 20th century it was still owned by the Southern Railway system.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: June 28, 2022
