Staple Bend Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Staple Bend Tunnel, about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Johnstown, Pennsylvania
, in a town called Mineral Point, was constructed between 1831 and 1834 for the Allegheny Portage Railroad
. Construction began on April 12, 1831. This tunnel, at 901 feet (275 m) in length, was the first railway tunnel
constructed in the United States
. It is rock bored and stone lined.
It was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1994.
It is now part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service
.
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, in a town called Mineral Point, was constructed between 1831 and 1834 for the Allegheny Portage Railroad
Allegheny Portage Railroad
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, United States. It was a series of 10 inclines, approximately long, and operated from 1834 to 1854...
. Construction began on April 12, 1831. This tunnel, at 901 feet (275 m) in length, was the first railway tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
constructed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is rock bored and stone lined.
It was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1994.
It is now part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
External links
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1233, "Allegheny Portage Railroad, Staple Bend Tunnel"
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-240, "Allegheny Portage Railroad, Staple Bend Tunnel"
- National Park Service website for Staple Bend Tunnel
- Cambria County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Staple Bend Tunnel restoration http://www.graciano.com/project_detail.asp?pID=23