Mueller Bridge
Also known as: Aa03-65-001; Bridge at McAlister Crossing
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Why it's listed
Spanning Cibolo Creek on County Road 337 near La Vernia, this 252-foot steel pony truss bridge was built in 1915 by the Alamo Construction Company of San Antonio. Wilson County commissioners authorized it that May as part of a five-bridge program, and it was finished by November at a cost of $8,650. It replaced a low-water crossing used by settlers on both sides of the creek and gave the area a safe, all-weather route. Locally it has been called both the Bridge at McAlister Crossing and the Mueller Bridge. Its three spans use a Warren truss with a polygonal top chord, a design that allowed longer spans. The Texas historic bridge inventory identifies it as one of only two multi-span bridges of this type in Texas, which makes it a rare survivor. It has been closed to traffic since 1988, and flooding, fires and neglect have damaged the deck, abutments and steel members.
Significance in brief: The bridge is significant under Criterion C for engineering at the state level as one of two multi-span Warren polygonal top chord bridges in Texas, a rare type. It is also significant under Criterion A for transportation at the local level, because it replaced a low-water crossing and created a safe all-weather route between the old Sutherland Springs-Seguin Road and the old Chihuahua Road.
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 07001094, listed October 16, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | CR 337 over Cibolo Cr., La Vernia |
|---|---|
| County | Wilson County |
| Listed | October 16, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07001094 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1915 |
| Architect / builder | Alamo Construction Company of San Antonio |
| Architectural style | Warren polygonal chord truss |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to vehicular traffic since 1988; damaged by vandalism, flooding and neglect, with part of the northeast abutment washed out and the bridge described as in danger of collapse without shoring. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.35322, -98.07469 (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 07001094.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6931947
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.