Within feet of the Guadalupe River crossing of the Old San Antonio Road (or Camino Real) in New Braunfels, TX, the 1887 Faust Street Bridge is one of less than twenty Texas truss bridges constructed prior to 1890. Longest, most complex, and most important of the surviving examples, the Faust Street Bridge is also Texas’ only early truss bridge with multiple spans specified in the original construction.
Built in 1887 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio (one of the most important and prolific bridge builders of the late 19th Century), the Faust Street Bridge’s over 640-foot span ranks as one of the first long-term toll-free structures completed over a major waterway in Texas (the first high-water bridge in Comal County), and at the same time one of the last wrought iron bridges constructed here. In 1917, it served as the major crossing for all traffic between Austin and San Antonio on what was then known as the Austin-San Antonio post road. By 1934, most through traffic used the newly constructed concrete highway bridge, though local traffic continued to cross the Guadalupe here until fire rendered the bridge impassable in 1979. Refurbished in 1998, the Faust Street Bridge is preserved as a pedestrian bridge, with fabulous views of the Guadalupe, as well as a beauty in its own right.
The bridge's use of Whipple trusses, its combination of truss types (Whipple and Pratt), and its distinctive masonry piers make it one of the most important historic bridges in the Texas, as well as earning a Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks of Texas listing.
For more details of the bridge and its construction, see the TX DOT official history: (
visit link) (http://www.texasce.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=140)
And/or visit the Historic Bridge Foundation (http://historicbridgefoundation.com/txbridges/hillcountry/comal/faust.html)
Also recommended is Myra Lee Adams Goff’s article: “Faust Street bridge led to mill” Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 (
visit link)
The Bridge is also a Texas Historic Landmark. The marker (reported missing from the western approach) SHOULD read:
Caravans carrying supplies to Spanish missions in east Texas and other travelers crossed the Guadalupe River on El Camino Real (The King's Highway) near this site in the 18th century. It sometimes took weeks for floodwaters to subside so travelers could cross.
In 1887, the Comal County commissioners court contracted with the King Iron Bridge Company of Ohio to build a high water bridge over the Guadalupe River. Among the last wrought iron bridges built in Texas and one of the first long-term toll-free structures completed over a major waterway in the state, this monumental truss structure extends more than 640 feet in length. It is comprised of two main spans, known as Pratt (Whipple) truss spans, flanked by two smaller spans.
The Whipple was a variation on the more typical Pratt truss style bridge design which enjoyed brief but explosive popularity in the mid- to late-19th century. These trusses are connected by a pin-and-hanger system, which was the common method of the time. The spans are supported by oval-shaped masonry piers with rusticated stonework and pointed, or "cut-water," ends.
In 1917, the Texas Highway Department designated the Faust Street bridge to serve as a major crossing for all traffic between Austin and San Antonio on state highway 2, formerly the Austin-San Antonio post road. In 1934, a new concrete highway bridge was erected. The Faust Street bridge continued to serve local traffic until it was damaged by fire in 1979.
Its unique design, using a combination of Pratt and Whipple truss types, and its wrought iron construction place the Faust Street bridge among the important historic bridges in the state.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1999