Espada Aqueduct in San Antonio – 300 Years Of History
Espada Aqueduct in San Antonio is about 300 years old and it’s still functioning. Crazy! This is a must-see historical landmark in San Antonio. And if you have no idea what an aqueduct is/does, no worries. I’ll break it down for you and share a bunch of photos so you know what to expect.
Espada Aqueduct was built in 1731 as a way to provide water to the nearby Mission Espada. (Mission Espada is one of the 5 Spanish missions in San Antonio, fyi.) It’s located at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Here’s the story: San Antonio is in south Texas and gets sporadic rainfall at best, and the missionaries at Mission Espada quickly realized that if they’re going to A) stay alive and B) have enough water to provide irrigation to plant and harvest crops in nearby farmland, they needed to figure out a way to get water, and fast.
They (with the help of Native Americans) built this aqueduct and surrounding structures. The aqueduct is essentially a 195-foot structure that “curves the wrong way.” It extends over Piedras creek and allows water to be transported from the San Antonio River. Two cut stone arches support the structure.
Is The Espada Aqueduct Still In Good Condition?
Miraculously…yes! It’s still fully functional and it’s typically full of water.
The aqueduct is a feat of engineering and was even given the title of National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
It held up quite well for the first century (amidst plenty of usage, floods, and attacks) until it needed a bit of work. The Espada Ditch Company repaired it in 1895.
And then in the 1970s the San Antonio Conservation Society filed for the aqueduct to be on the National Register of Historic Places. They even bought a bunch of nearby land to further preserve the structure.
Yes, but you can’t climb on it. (It is 300 years old, after all!)
Can You Visit The Aqueduct In San Antonio?
Yes, but you can’t climb on it. (It is 300 years old, after all!)
The Espada Aqueduct is located in San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. It’s near Mission Espada, so if you’re planning to visit that (and other!) missions, you can easily stop by the Aqueduct and have a look around.
The Aqueduct has its own little park, complete with a few parking spaces, some benches, and a historic landmark sign. There’s also an informational sign with some helpful info in case you want to know more details about the engineering component of the Espada Aqueduct.
How Much Time Will I Want To Spend At The Aqueduct?
10-15 minutes tops. It’s not a lot to see, but it’s definitely worth a quick visit during your day of seeing the rest of the San Antonio missions.
Since it’s pretty far south in San Antonio and removed from the tourist crowds, it’s not ever going to be as crowded as something like The Alamo or even Mission San Jose.
However, it’s rare to be able to see something this old in the state of Texas! And the Espada Aqueduct is literally the oldest Spanish aqueduct in the entire country, so it’s definitely worth seeing and appreciating.
WEBSITE | 9045 Espada Rd, San Antonio, TX 78214