| Washington Avenue Bridge | |
| Coordinates: | 31.5611°N -97.1286°W |
| Locmap Relief: | yes |
| Architect: | J.H. Sparks |
| Added: | February 20, 1998 |
| Area: | less than one acre |
| Refnum: | 98000143 |
The Washington Avenue Bridge in Waco, Texas was built in 1902 and was then the longest single-span vehicular truss bridge in Texas. It has a 450foot span across the Brazos River. It provided for traffic circulation in addition to that provided by the 1870-built Waco Suspension Bridge one block downriver (east).
The bridge cost $93,399 for its construction, not including $1,850 for railings and approach spans. Its cost was split by McLennan County and the City of Waco, which became equal owners.[1]
A Black man named Sank Majors was lynched at the bridge in 1905, hung from a crossbeam by a white mob. Another Black man, Jim Lawyer, was attacked for objecting to the lynching. Texas Rangers looked on the violence and did not intervene.[2]
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.