Designed by James Finley, a local judge and inventor, it spanned Jacob's Creek, just south of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania.

The contract with Finley was signed in April, with each county committing to half of the $600 (US$10,000 with inflation[1]) cost, and specifying that the bridge be completed by December 15.

[6] The bridge's two chain cables were made of 1-inch iron bar, wrought into links between 5 and 10 feet long, and anchored to the ground at each end.

Vertical suspenders dropped from the cables to support the wooden joists beneath the decking.

He used a similar design for his Chain Bridge at Falls of Schuylkill in 1808, and secured a patent that same year.