{"nrhp_refnum":"70000850","name":"Waco Suspension Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"At Bridge St., over the Brazos River","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waco","county":"McLennan County","state":"TX","lat":31.561644167500077,"lon":-97.12750622611557,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Engineering","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A suspension bridge carrying Bridge Street across the Brazos River in Waco, McLennan County, Texas, opened January 7, 1870, with brick cable towers and toll houses at both ends.","why_significant":"The nomination states it was the first bridge across the Brazos River and the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world when built. It is also noted for its engineering, architecture, commerce and transportation roles. Its towers and toll houses remain architecturally interesting despite later alterations.","narrative":"Spanning the Brazos River at Bridge Street in Waco, this suspension bridge opened on January 7, 1870, and was the first bridge across the river. The nomination describes it as the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world at the time, with a 475-foot span. Waco stockholders chartered the project in 1866, and the company turned to the John A. Roebling Company in New York, which sent engineer Thomas M. Griffith to design it. Cables and parts were made in the East, shipped to Galveston, and hauled inland by rail and ox team. Two double towers of local pink brick, joined by arches over the roadway, are flanked by toll houses with stepped gables. The bridge worked as a toll crossing for twenty years before McLennan County bought it in 1889 and passed it to the city. Flood damage in 1885 led to a steel approach span, and the brick was later plastered over. It later became a pedestrian crossing.","period_of_significance":"1870","architect_builder":"Thomas M. Griffith, engineer (sent by the John A. Roebling Company); Waco Bridge Company, Col. John T. Flint, President","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Waco and in good condition. The 1970 form says it was still in daily use; a 1974 letter says it was closed to motor traffic and used only as a footbridge.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.943079-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/89/9729/40972989/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/70000850.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000850/b77734b954-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000850/b77734b954-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.5","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WacoBridge02.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WacoBridge02.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972989","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_Suspension_Bridge","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7958860"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/mclennan-county/waco-suspension-bridge-70000850/"}