Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Brownsville (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Brownsville Bridge, Bowman's Castle, and Dunlap's Creek Bridge. Also, be sure to include Lane Bane Bridge in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Brownsville (Pennsylvania).
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Brownsville Bridge
Truss bridge in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The Brownsville Bridge, also known as the Intercounty Bridge and the West Brownsville Bridge, is a truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Monongahela River between Brownsville, Pennsylvania and West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Since the opening of the Lane Bane Bridge and highway project to carry much of the intercounty through traffic away from the main streets of downtown Brownsville in the early 1960s, another commonly heard name is Old Brownsville Bridge for the four high level viaduct.
The West Brownsville-Brownsville Bridge was completed in 1914 to replace an 1831 wooden structure that was ill-suited for the vehicular traffic that the National Road was beginning to carry, as motorized vehicle traffic began replacing animal powered transportation technologies. The famous federal route has crossed the river at this point since its inception, with ferry service in the early nineteenth century. In 1960, the Lane Bane Bridge was constructed just downstream and U.S. Route 40 was moved to the new high-level structure. Currently, the route serves local traffic and is meant to tie together the interconnected towns on each bank.
It is designated as a historic bridge by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.[1]
Bowman's Castle
Historical place museum in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Bowman's Castle, also known as Nemacolin Castle, was built in present-day Brownsville, Pennsylvania, at the western terminus of the Nemacolin's Trail on the east bank of the Monongahela river. It was built around the original trading post, which was built near the site of Fort Burd, the latter built by British colonists during the French and Indian War. Construction on the castle, including addition of a crenellated tower, continued through the Victorian era, when it was considered an engineering marvel.[2]
Address: 136 Front St, 15417-1933 Brownsville
Dunlap's Creek Bridge
Bridge in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Dunlap's Creek Bridge was the first arch bridge in the United States built of cast iron. It was designed by Richard Delafield and built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Constructed from 1836 to 1839 on the National Road in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, it remains in use today. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It is located in the Brownsville Commercial Historic District and supports Market Street, the local main thoroughfare. Due to the steep sides of the Monongahela River valley, there is only room for two short streets parallel to the river's shore and graded mild enough to be comfortable to walk before the terrain rises too steeply for business traffic.[3]
Lane Bane Bridge
Bridge in Pennsylvania. The Lane Bane Bridge is a truss bridge that carries vehicular traffic across the Monongahela River between Brownsville, Pennsylvania and West Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The high level bridge was completed in November 1962 and was originally designed to be part of the Mon-Fayette Expressway. A 3 miles freeway segment stretches from the west bank of the bridge, and a final exit is contained directly on the eastern shore. The structure is designed not only to provide a river crossing without having to enter the associated deep valley, but it also carries vehicles high above the main streets of West Brownsville.[4]
St. Peter's Church
Anglican church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The Historic Church of St. Peter is a Roman Catholic church in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Greensburg. The Historic Church of St. Peter also has a partner parish in Grindstone, Pennsylvania named St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church, which was built in 1931.[5]
Address: 304 Shaffner Avenue, Brownsville
Monongahela River
Museum
Address: 412 Church St, Brownsville
Brownsville Commercial Historic District
Brownsville Commercial Historic District is a national historic district located adjacent to the Brownsville Northside Historic District at Brownsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 55 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in the central business district of Brownsville. Most of the contributing buildings are three and four-story brick commercial buildings built between 1900 and 1930, with four buildings dated to the 19th century. The oldest building is the Flatiron Building. Other notable buildings include the International Order of Odd Fellows Building, Monongahela National Bank, Second National Bank, Snowdon Building, Union Station, Crawford Building, and Borough Building. The contributing structures are the separately listed Dunlap's Creek Bridge and a stone railroad tunnel.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[6]