State Highway 5 Bridge at High Creek
Also known as: FM 1509 Bridge at Cane (High) Creek; Lr0045-14-101
Why it's listed
This 50-foot steel Warren pony truss bridge carries FM 1509 over High Creek, now called Cane Creek, in southwestern Lamar County, Texas. The Austin Brothers Bridge Company built it in 1920 and 1921 for the Texas Highway Department, using the department's T5 standard design. That design hangs its floor beams below the bottom chords, a method later replaced by braced beams. Only two bridges on the Texas state highway system still use it, this one and another on old State Highway 5 at Big Pine Creek. In 1935 and 1936 the department widened the roadway from 15 to 21 feet and replaced the concrete deck with timber stringers and plank flooring, a choice linked to Depression-era economy. The wooden deck remains today. When US 82 was straightened in the late 1940s, traffic shifted away from the bridge, which probably helped it survive in service. It was listed for its engineering significance at the state level.
Significance in brief: The bridge is argued to be significant under Criterion C in engineering at the state level. It uses the Texas Highway Department T5 standard design with suspended floor beams, and it is one of only two such bridges surviving on the state highway system. Its 1935-1936 widening with a wooden deck is presented as an example of Depression-era economy and materials conservation.
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 96001102, listed October 10, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | FM 1509, 1.8 mi. W of jct. with FM 38, Brookston |
|---|---|
| County | Lamar County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001102 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1920-1921; 1935-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Bridge Designer: Texas Highway Department; Truss Fabricator and Bridge Builder: Austin Brothers Bridge Company of Dallas, Texas |
| Architectural style | Other: Warren pony truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in vehicular use on FM 1509 with its wooden deck intact; the 1995 sufficiency rating of 36.8 made it eligible for replacement, but no projects were planned. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.61212, -95.74745 (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.
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 96001102.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001109
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.