{"nrhp_refnum":"04001166","name":"Dionicio Rodriguez Bridge in Brackenridge Park","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"400 N. St. Mary's St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Antonio","county":"Bexar County","state":"TX","lat":29.46665639400004,"lon":-98.46879823699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-10-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 98-foot-long rustic footbridge of concrete made to look like wood (faux bois), in the far north of Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, Texas, near the Hildebrand entrance. It was built around 1926 and designed by sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez.","why_significant":"The bridge is argued to be a unique and significant work of art by the noted San Antonio sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez (Criterion C, area of Art). Its design was not replicated at any other known site. It is also among the only known Rodriguez projects commissioned by a municipality.","narrative":"A concrete footbridge in the north end of Brackenridge Park, San Antonio, looks like a rustic arbor made of timber. Built around 1926 and designed by sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez, it spans a flood channel of the San Antonio River and runs 98 feet. Thirty-three pairs of vertical \"tree trunks\" carry a roof of deeply grained \"branches,\" and crosscut \"planks\" form the walkway. Details such as insect borings, knotholes, bark textures and cut branch ends add to the illusion. A 1927 Popular Mechanics article praised the realism, and park attendants joked that it even fools woodpeckers. Rodriguez incised his name on the structure, and Maximo Cortes and Sam Murray reportedly assisted. The bridge was restored in 2002. It is recognized for its artistic value as a one-of-a-kind work by a noted local sculptor and as one of few Rodriguez commissions made for a municipality. No other known site repeats the design.","period_of_significance":"c.1926","architect_builder":"Dionicio Rodriguez","architectural_style":"Faux bois sculpture","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as a pedestrian bridge; restored in 2002 by Carlos Cortes, son of Maximo Cortes.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.772498-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/14/9683/40968314/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/04001166.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001166/8ee57cf04a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04001166/8ee57cf04a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rodriquez_bridge_brackenridge_2011.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rodriquez_bridge_brackenridge_2011.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"11000513","name":"Brackenridge Park","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/brackenridge-park-11000513/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968314","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110001599"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/bexar-county/dionicio-rodriguez-bridge-in-brackenridge-park-04001166/"}