Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo, also known as Los Morrillos Light, is a historic
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
located in
Los Morrillos cape (officially Cabo Rojo,
Spanish for "red cape") in the
municipality of
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
History
Located at the southwestern tip of the island of
Puerto Rico, the construction of this lighthouse was completed in 1882.
It was built to guide passing ships through the southeast entrance from the
Caribbean Sea through the treacherous
Mona Passage
The Mona Passage ( es, Canal de la Mona) is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama ...
into the
Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is located over a white
lime cliff which is surrounded by
salt water lagoons and
marshes. The cliffs surrounding the lighthouse drop over 200 feet into the ocean.
The lighthouse's
architecture is distinguished by its simplicity, with minimal decoration and an unelaborated
cornice
In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
repeated through the structure. The illuminating apparatus is housed in a
cast-iron,
copper and
glass lantern
A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...
. The
lenticular
Lenticular is an adjective often relating to lenses. It may refer to:
* A term used with two meanings in botany: see
* Lenticular cloud, a lens-shaped cloud
* Lenticular galaxy, a lens-shaped galaxy
* Lenticular (geology), adjective describing a ...
lens was manufactured by the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
firm Sautter, Lemonnier and Company.
Originally, the lighthouse was staffed by two keepers and an engineer, who lived on the grounds with their families. In 1967 the lighthouse was renovated and its operation is currently completely automated. The structure itself has been abandoned for decades, although recent the local government as well as local civic groups, such as
Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente, are pushing towards turning the old lighthouse keeper's house into a museum. The project was taken over by the municipality, an action that lost U.S. Federal government funds that had been assigned for it. The municipality took over the renovations, which, according to critics, has irrevocably damaged the historical significance of the internal structure.
Gallery
Faro Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Faro Cabo Rojo with ocean view
Coastal cliffs near the Los Morrillos Lighthouse.jpg, Coastal cliffs near the Faro Los Morrillos.
Los Morrillos light.jpg, Faro Los Morrillos, c. 1895
Faro Morrillos de Cabo Rojo.jpg, View from one of the trails
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Puerto Rico
*
Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
*
Boquerón, Puerto Rico
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1882
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Historic American Engineering Record in Puerto Rico
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico
Neoclassical architecture in Puerto Rico
1882 establishments in Puerto Rico
Hexagonal buildings