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
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