Built by the Franciscan friars in 1731, the stone aqueduct was used to carry the water from the San Antonio River to irrigate the lands in the vicinity of Mission San Francisco de la Espada. The aqueduct is still in an excellent state of preservation and still in use after more than 200 years. The massive round arches that span the Piedras Pintas Creek, though only a few feet high, resemble the arches of the Roman aqueducts built by the Caesars. It is only structure of its kind in this locally that remains today. It is said to be the only aqueduct of its kind in the United States. A park has been developed by the San Antonio Conservation Society to provide a proper setting for this small monument to the faith and ingenuity of man. A stone house on the property is known to date from the Spanish era.
Aqueduct
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Aqueduct is a historical marker in San Antonio, Bexar County, dedicated in 1962. It is one of 236 historical markers documented in Bexar County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 503 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 29.3328, -98.4617 near San Antonio. The nearest cataloged historic site is Mission San Francisco de la Espada Dam, Ditch and Aqueduct (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Mission San Juan Capistrano, Stinson Airport, and San Juan.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5029000177. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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