Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
1. Name of Property
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
(indicate preferred name)
historic
Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge SHA #16111 (preferred)
other
New SHA #1611100
2. Location
Maryland 201
not for publication
city, town
Greenbelt
vicinity
county
Prince George's County
street and number
3. Owner of Property
(give names and mailing addresses of all owners)
name
United States of America, General Services Administration
street and number
18th & F streets NW
city, town
Washington
telephone
state
DC
zip code
20405-0001
4. Location of Legal Description
courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Prince George's County Courthouse
Upper Marlboro
city, town
tax map 26
tax parcel
liber
9857 folio 449
83
tax ID number
21 2410819
5. Primary Location of Additional Data
X
X
Contributing Resource in National Register District
Contributing Resource in Local Historic District
Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Recorded by HABS/HAER
Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT
Other: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Planning Department
6. Classification
Category
district
building(s)
X structure
site
object
Ownership
Current Function
X public
private
both
agriculture
commerce/trade
defense
domestic
education
funerary
government
health care
industry
Resource Count
landscape
recreation/culture
religion
social
X transportation
work in progress
unknown
vacant/not in use
other:
Contributing
1
1
Noncontributing
buildings
sites
structures
objects
0
Total
Number of Contributing Resources
previously listed in the Inventory
1
7. Description
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Condition
excellent
good
X fair
deteriorated
ruins
altered
Prepare both a one-paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements
as it exists today.
The Beaverdam Creek Bridge (SHA bridge number 16111) is a concrete spandrel arch bridge faced in
stone. The bridge is located along Maryland 201, which runs north-south over the Beaverdam Creek. The
creek, which flows east under the bridge, is lined with mature trees and shurbs. The bridge is located
within the boundaries of the United States Department of Agriculture research center in Beltsville,
Maryland – the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The bridge spans Maryland 201 (Edmonston
Road), a two-lane highway which is approximately 30-feet wide. The bridge has three arches, each
spanning 28 feet. The total length of the bridge is 101 feet. Constructed of concrete, the bridge is faced
with random ashlar and dressed voussoirs. The voussoirs are cut with slants to produce the effect of a
curving outer edge. The random ashlar facing is also visible on the parapets that flank the concrete bridge
deck. Portions of the stone-clad parapet are crumbling.
INTEGRITY
Although small portions of the bridge’s parapets are crumbling, the bridge retains its overall integrity of
design, materials, and workmanship. No major alterations and only slight repairs have been made to the
structure since its construction in 1927. This stone-faced concrete arch bridge continues to harmonize with
its surroundings, illustrating its integrity of feeling and association. The road has not been widened or
moved, effectively preserving the bridge’s integrity of location and setting. The bridge retains several
character-defining elements of the bridge type such as stone-faced spandrel walls, parapets, and wing
walls as well as and concrete abutments. The State Highway Administration (SHA) determined the
structure eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of a
concrete arch bridge in February 2001. The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) concurred with SHA’s
determination of eligibility in July 2001.
8. Significance
Period
Areas of Significance
1600-1699
1700-1799
1800-1899
X 1900-1999
2000-
agriculture
archeology
architecture
art
commerce
communications
community planning
conservation
Specific dates
1927
Construction dates
1927
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Check and justify below
economics
education
engineering
entertainment/
recreation
ethnic heritage
exploration/
settlement
health/medicine
performing arts
industry
philosophy
invention
politics/government
landscape architecture
religion
law
science
literature
social history
maritime history
X transportation
military
other:
Architect/Builder
Unknown
Evaluation for:
National Register
Maryland Register
not evaluated
Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the
history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form – see manual.)
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Constructed c. 1927, this bridge is notable as an excellent example of ornamental stone-clad concrete arch
bridges in the state of Maryland. The detailing of the masonry work suggests an attempt by the builder to
harmonize the bridge with its surroundings. The bridge is assumed to have been built by the federal government
due to its location near the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, but no documentation has been uncovered
to support this assumption. In February 2001, the State Highway Administration (SHA) determined the bridge
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as a significant example of concrete arch
construction. Although the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) had determined the bridge was not eligible for the
National Register in 1991, it reversed its determination in July 2001, concurring with the 2001 SHA
determination. The bridge retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance as an early-twentieth-century
stone-faced concrete arch bridge.
HISTORIC CONTEXT
The bridge over Beaverdam Creek (SHA bridge number 16111) is located in the Beltsville Agricultural
Research Center just outside Greenbelt, Maryland. The United States government began purchasing farmland in
the vicinity of Beltsville and Greenbelt, Maryland, for the establishment of the Department of Agriculture
Research Center at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1910, the Animal Husbandry Division and the
Dairy Division were established on tracts of land known as “Walnut Grange” and “Johnny Hall Place.” The
Animal Husbandry Division began with 186 acres of tillable land while the Dairy Division received 186 acres
of tillable land and 100 acres of woodland. Building construction began in 1911.1
By 1925, the government had outgrown the 472 acres of land and purchased an additional 129 acres for the
Dairy Division and over 1,000 acres for the Animal Husbandry Division. The Agricultural Research Center has
become the hub of a nation-wide effort by the Department of Agriculture to work to assure an abundance of
healthful foods for Americans.2 The construction of the stone-faced concrete arch bridge over Beaverdam Creek
1
2
The Agricultural Research Center, Prince George’s County Historical Commission files.
The Agricultural Research Center, Prince George’s County Historical Commission files.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 2
on Maryland 201 in 1927 was in response to the need for a more efficient transportation network around the
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center as well as to meet an increased load capacity.3
Stone arch bridges are the oldest type of bridges extant in Maryland. The strength created by arches coupled
with the durability and abundant supply of local stone, made the stone arch bridge highly popular in the northcentral and western portions of the state. Masons used wooden, barrel-like braces to position stones, eventually
inserting keystones to secure the voussoirs. Removal of the wooden braces occurs once the keystones are set.
Historically, rubble, large rocks, and soil filled the space behind the bridge’s spandrels. After the bridge’s
structure was complete, the roadbed would be built on top of the bridge.4
The advent of concrete technology revitalized arch bridge construction in the United States during the first
decades of the twentieth century. Concrete provided the same load-bearing capabilities of the form but made the
construction of arched bridges easier and faster. Reinforced concrete had a structural advantage over stone,
allowing the bridge’s arch barrels to transition into lightweight ribs. Spandrel walls were also opened, giving a
lighter appearance to the bridge while decreasing the dead load. These technological advances made longer
bridge spans and flatter, multi-centered arches possible. Thus, reinforced concrete allowed a greater versatility
in bridge design and economical construction.5
From 1920 to 1929, the Maryland road and bridges improvement program undertook several projects. These
projects were responding to the increase in motor vehicles from 103,000 in 1920 to 320,000 in 1929; projects
initially focused on the secondary system of feeder roads. The post World War I (1914-1918) bridge system was
deemed too narrow and structurally inadequate for the increasing traffic. A Bridge Division, established in
1920, was charged with expanding the state’s bridge program.6
By the time the Beaverdam Creek Bridge was constructed in the mid 1920s, beam and slab (now called T-beam
bridges) had overtaken the arch bridge in terms of popularity. In the period between 1911 and 1920, arch
bridges constituted 35 percent of extant bridges in Maryland; the percentage continued to decrease, reaching 27
percent by 1930 and 18 percent by 1946. The T-beam bridge form increased in popularity, becoming a
utilitarian choice for bridge construction. The construction of ornamental arch bridges such as the bridge over
Beaverdam Creek continued throughout the early twentieth century, though at a lower rate than other bridge
forms.
John Hnedak, “Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge,” (PG: 67-6) Maryland Historical Trust Inventory Form for State Historic
Bridges (1997), 8:1.
4
Dixie Legler and Carol M. Highsmith, Historic Bridges of Maryland. Crownsville: Maryland Historical Trust, 2002:24.
5
John Hnedak, “Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge,” (PG: 67-6) Maryland Historical Trust Inventory Form for State Historic
Bridges (1997), 8:1.
6
Hnedak, “Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge,” 8:1.
3
9. Major Bibliographical References
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Highsmith, Carol M. and Dixie Legler. Historic Bridges of Maryland. Crownsville: Maryland Historical Trust, 2002.
Hnedak, John. “Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge” (PG: 67-6) Maryland Historical Trust Inventory Form for State Historic
Sites Survey, 1980.
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of surveyed property
Acreage of historical setting
Quadrangle name
769.33
769.33
Beltsville
Quadrangle scale: 1:24,000
Verbal boundary description and justification
The Beaverdam Creek Bridge is located along Maryland 201, which runs north-south, over the Beaverdam Creek that
flows east. The bridge span is approximately 84 feet on both sides of Maryland 201, which is 30-feet wide. The road
and the creek bound the bridge. Since its construction, the bridge has been associated with Parcel 83 on Tax Map 26.
11. Form Prepared by
name/title
Elizabeth Breiseth and Paul Weishar, Architectural Historians
organization
EHT Traceries, Incorporated
date
October 2007
street & number
1121 5th Street NW
telephone
202.393.1199
city or town
Washington
state
DC
The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature
to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA,
1974 supplement.
The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only
and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights.
return to:
Maryland Historical Trust
DHCD/DHCP
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032-2023
410-514-7600
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 1
Chain of Title
Deed 9857: 449
October 26, 1994
United States of America to United States of America
(resurvey of property as listed in Exhibits A and B of deed)
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 2
Photo: Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge, view of the west elevation, looking northeast.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 3
Photo: Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge, view of the west elevation, looking northeast.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 4
Photo: Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge, view of the west elevation, looking east.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form
Inventory No. PG: 67-006
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Continuation Sheet
Number 9 Page 5
Photo: Maryland 201/Beaverdam Creek Bridge, view of the east parapet, looking east.