Matagorda Island Light
Matagorda Island Lighthouse | |
Nearest city | Port O'Connor, Texas |
---|---|
Coordinates | 28°20′15″N 96°25′26″W / 28.33750°N 96.42389°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1872 |
Built by | U.S. Coast Guard, Lighthouse Service |
NRHP reference No. | 84001624[1] |
Added to NRHP | September 18, 1984 |
The Matagorda Island Light is located on Matagorda Island in Calhoun County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Once under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
History
Building of a lighthouse to guide sea-going vessels into
During the
The 1886 Indianola hurricane destroyed most of the town, and caused the water to rise 4 feet (1.2 m) inside the tower. The resulting structural swaying caused the lens to fall out. In 1956, the tower was automated by the United States Coast Guard, making it the first time the tower was not operated by human keepers.[3]
Renovation
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which manages the lighthouse, installed a new rotating solar-powered marine lantern in 1999. After having been out of commission since 1995, the light was re-lit at Midnight as the year turned over to 2000, to celebrate the new millennium. The lighthouse underwent a renovation completed in 2004, at a cost of $1.23 million. The renovation was made possible through private donations through the Matagorda Island Foundation, and with a grant from the United States government.[6]
Cemetery
The resting place for lighthouse keepers and their families can be found near the lighthouse.[7][8]
See also
Further reading
- Baker, Dr. T. Lindsay; Phenix, Harold; Holland, F. Ross (2001). Lighthouses of Texas. TAMU Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-145-7.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "The Annexation of Texas Joint Resolution of Congress March 1, 1845". PBS. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Texas Lighthouses". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3776-4.
- ^ "THC-Matagorda Island Lightouse". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Renovated Matagorda Island Lighthouse Shines Again". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "History of Matagorda Lighthouse". Matagorda Lighthouse. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- ^ "Lighthouse Cemetery". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 13 September 2011.