Medio Creek Bridge
Also known as: Normanna Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning Medio Creek in a wooded part of rural Bee County, Texas, this one-lane Pratt through-truss bridge carries County Road 241 between the communities of Mineral and Normanna. It was erected in 1897 from a kit supplied by the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company of Trenton, after the county commissioners accepted the lowest of four bids. In 1923 the Austin Brothers Bridge Company of Dallas rebuilt the superstructure. The bridge is about 258 feet long, with a 118-foot iron main span and steel approach spans. It was listed for its engineering value and its links to two notable bridge-building firms. Pratt truss bridges of this age are disappearing from rural Texas, and no others survive in Bee or neighboring counties. Locals have long treated the site as a landmark, using it for fishing, swimming, photography and baptisms. The bridge is closed to traffic, and county residents have campaigned to preserve it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is an excellent, intact example of a Pratt through-truss type that is rapidly disappearing from rural Texas. It is significant under Criterion C for engineering and for its ties to two notable bridge-building firms, New Jersey Steel and Iron Company and Austin Brothers Bridge Company. No other examples survive in Bee or adjacent counties.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88002000, listed October 13, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | CR 241, Normanna |
|---|---|
| County | Bee County |
| Listed | October 13, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002000 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1897/1923 |
| Architect / builder | New Jersey Steel & Iron Company; Austin Brothers Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Pratt through-truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The bridge is closed to traffic and listed as vacant and unoccupied, with a temporary low water crossing built to the south. Its condition is rated fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.52978, -97.79427 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88002000.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000785
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.