Bridge Looking East	Light Standards and Bridge Roadbed Looking Southeast	Bridge-Balustrade and piers

The Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge, constructed in 1937 and opened to the public in April 1938, is locally significant as an example of engineering techniques and architectural design used in the construction of South Carolina highway bridges during a period of remarkable growth in the state’s highway system. It is a multi-span continuous steel girder bridge made up of four steel girder main spans, four continuous steel string approach spans, and concrete piers which support the bridge deck. The entire bridge is 1270 feet long. Among its notable engineering and architectural features are its long vertical and horizontal curves, the use of 28 cast-iron light standards along the balustrade, and the Gothic-influenced pointed arches cut out of its concrete piers; the arches have been described as “a lavish treatment seldom seen in South Carolina bridges” in a 1993 bridge inventory project sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation. The bridge was designated as a memorial to Horry County citizens who served in America’s wars from the American Revolution through the First World War. It is also significant for its association with the growth and development of the Grand Strand-Myrtle Beach area as a resort in the first half of the twentieth century. Constructed at a cost of $370,000, the bridge replaced an earlier one-lane bridge which had been the only bridge connecting Conway with the developing Grand Strand-Myrtle Beach area. Listed in the National Register August 26, 1994.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition, the Historic Resources of Conway, ca. 1850-ca. 1930 includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

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