On large stained and moss-covered stone masonry abutments over a single line of tracks in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County rested a dinosaur, a wrought iron relic of the past originally constructed to support the industry of a developing nation. Its appearance was worn and weathered from over 140 years of service.
Random holes and a mixed bag of fastener types and sizes littered the visible faces. The original railroad floor system was long gone and replaced with a timber vehicular deck. Its live load carrying capacity was a mere fraction of what it once was. However, under all of this rust was a diamond, a rare and complete example of a wrought iron pin-connected warren pony truss with built-up corrugated diagonal tension members, the last of its kind.
This is the story of relocation and reuse, adaptive reuse, of the last known remaining pin-connected wrought iron Warren pony truss in Pennsylvania – The Howellville Truss (2004RE01890).
Howellville Truss over Norfolk Southern. Existing condition, 2019. (Used by permission, Wilson, 2025.)
The original structure was constructed in 1879 by the Northern Central Railway, which ran between Baltimore, MD and Sunbury, PA. Around 1902-1904, the Pennsylvania Railroad (owner of the Northern Central Railway) relocated and re-purposed the Howellville Truss as a two-lane vehicular roadway bridge in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County near the town of Howellville, giving the bridge its name.
Howellville Truss over Norfolk Southern, Note skew and 21.3 ft width. Existing condition, 2019. (Used by permission, Wilson, 2025.)
The truss carried vehicles until 2020 when it was removed/replaced by a new bridge due to loading restrictions. With assistance from PennDOT, Tioga County purchased the Howellville Truss superstructure in 2020 as part of PennDOT’s Bridge Marketing Program and had it delivered intact (via flatbed trailers) to storage in Wellsboro.
Howellville Truss being transported to project site, 2024. (Used by permission, WCG, 2025.)
The historic nature of Wellsboro drove the decision to incorporate a re-purposed bridge, such as the Howellville Truss, in lieu of a more cost effective “modern” prefabricated/off-the-shelf pedestrian bridge. In addition, Wellsboro is a major tourist destination in northern PA; its lack of chain stores and restaurants and abundance of local businesses, especially its Main Street corridor, gives visitors a glimpse into an era of past American life. Wellsboro and the surrounding area also host a number of annual events as well as providing recreational opportunities to the PA Grand Canyon, Pine Creek Rail Trail, and several state parks and forests.
From the Fall of 2020 until Spring of 2024, the truss remained in County storage waiting to be re-purposed again, however, this time as a pedestrian bridge over Marsh Creek on the Marsh Creek Greenway/Pine Creek Rail Trail project which was in the preliminary stages of design at the time.
As preliminary engineering advanced, the design team, along with Tioga County, determined that the preferred location to place the Howellville Truss was 1.25 miles further south over Charleston Creek, connecting downtown Wellsboro from Charleston Street to the proposed Marsh Creek Greenway/Pine Creek Rail Trail Extension project. This location provided the necessary topography to accommodate a bridge of this span (89 feet) while aesthetically blending it into the local surroundings.
Howellville Truss in Tioga County storage, 2020. (Used by permission, Wilson, 2025.)
In the Spring of 2024, the Charleston Street Connector project was awarded to H&P Construction, Inc (HPCI). HPCI determined the most cost-effective solution for rehabilitation was to transport the trusses from County storage to an on-site temporary tent structure.
Upon arrival at the stie, HPCI removed all of the temporary bracing, placed the trusses on temporary supports at the proposed 15 ft center-to-center spacing, and constructed the large tent structure. Within this tent structure, all inspections, cleaning, fabricating, painting, and repairs were performed in a dry and protected environment.
Howellville Truss in tent structure undergoing rehabilitation, 2024. (Used by permission, Linda Stager, 2025.)
During the design and cleaning process, Wilson Consulting Group, PC (Wilson) performed field assessments of the structure to identify specific areas requiring repairs. The results of the post blast cleaning inspection identified areas of severe section loss to the bottom chord splice plates and 100% loss to a significant portion of rivet heads within the splices.
Wilson, in coordination with the County, the Contractor, historic rehabilitation consultant Skelly and Loy, Inc., A Terracon Company (Skelly), and the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO), developed in-kind splice replacement details to restore the connections to their original capacity while ensuring compliance with Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
Howellville Truss splice repairs, 2024. (Used by permission, Wilson, 2025.)
Third party ultrasonic pin testing was also performed during construction to determine that the wrought iron pins connecting the upper and lower panel points, a character-defining feature of the truss bridge, were structurally sound and free from defects. By taking this step, the design team avoided significant and expensive dismantling costs and preserved a key feature of the truss bridge.
Upon completion of the nearby abutments, the tent structure was removed, the deck forms were installed on the truss floor system, and the entire rehabilitated truss was set on the new abutments via a 2-crane pick (300 tons each).
Howellville Truss erection onto new abutments, 2024. (Used by permission, Linda Stager, 2025.)
In addition to the structural repairs to the truss, other components of the Charleston Street Connector project contributed to preserving and highlighting the historic resources of the bridge and surrounding area.
Button-head torque-controlled bolts were used at repair locations to give the appearance of rivets, a decision that the PA SHPO supported. The bridge was painted all black to match the look and feel of an old railroad structure while also providing a protective layer, increasing the longevity of the truss. Modern steel cable railings were also installed on the bridge deck to protect trail users while not detracting from the appearance of the trusses. Stone form liners were incorporated into the concrete abutment faces to match the existing adjacent stone masonry channel wall. The concrete was also stained to better mimic the natural colors of the stone.
Howellville Truss in service, 2025. (Used by permission, Linda Stager, 2025.)
Along both approaches to the bridge (ADA compliant asphalt surface), lights were installed to match the signature gas lamps seen throughout downtown Wellsboro. The exact gas lampposts and luminaires used downtown were acquired and retrofitted to be serviced by electric.
Granite project monuments, 2024. (Used by permission, Wilson, 2025.)
A big thank you to all parties for their cooperation which has resulted in the preservation of this last remaining relic of a time gone by to be enjoyed by those who come after us.
Electric lamps incorporated to match the gas lamps in Wellsboro, 2025. (Used by permission, Linda Stager, 2025.)
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Today’s Guest Contributor is David Kapura, PE, CBSI. Dave is a Senior Project Manager with Wilson Consulting Group, PC and specializes in bridge/transportation structures including metal truss bridges. Dave resides in Carlisle, PA and can be found on a trail or a mountain somewhere running or biking. As of this writing, The Charleston Street Connector project was awarded the 2024-2025 Outstanding New Short Span Bridge by ABCD and the 2025 Modjeski Award from Preservation Pennsylvania.
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It is wonderful to see these beautiful images of the completed bridge. Thanks are also due to the following consulting parties that advocated for the preservation of this bridge in the first phase of this effort, which replaced the Howellville Road Bridge: the Chester County Planning Commission, Chester County Historic Preservation Network, historicbridges.org, Tredyrffin-Easttown Historical Society, Historic Bridge Foundation, and Eric Long.