Riverside Swinging Bridge
Also known as: Y
Why it's listed
Three-quarters of a mile northeast of Riverside, Texas, a steel Pratt-truss railroad bridge 150 feet long crosses an arm of Lake Livingston, once the Trinity River. Built in 1904 by the International and Great Northern Railroad, it has two connected spans resting on a central concrete pillar. A cog on the pillar meshed with a gear under the bridge, so a hand-turned wheel could swing the structure parallel to the river. The design was meant to let steamboats pass, since river traffic was expected to resume after a proposed barge canal. The canal was never built. The bridge opened only twice, never for a boat; the last time was during the 1925 flood, to let debris pass. Concrete abutments replaced the original stone ones in 1925, and both ends were welded to stop movement. It is recognized as the last swinging railroad bridge in Texas. Missouri-Pacific took ownership in 1955 and still runs trains over it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant as the last swinging railroad bridge in Texas. It was built with a central pivot so it could swing parallel to the river for steamboats, but the expected river traffic never developed. It opened only twice, and never for a boat.
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 79003020, listed September 12, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Riverside, Riverside |
|---|---|
| County | Walker County |
| Listed | September 12, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003020 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | International and Great Northern Railroad |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use carrying Missouri-Pacific railroad traffic across Lake Livingston; structurally sound but in need of cleaning and painting to stop rust. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.85747, -95.39629 (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 79003020.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55315823
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.