The Point (Port) Isabel Lighthouse 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

Port Isabel, Texas Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville Metrop ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

that was built in 1852 to guide ships through the Brazos Santiago Pass to Port Isabel. The lighthouse was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on April 30, 1976. On September 28, 1850, the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

authorized an appropriation of $15,000 for "a lighthouse and beacon light" at Brazos Santiago Pass. Work began in February 1852. When complete, the lighthouse was an 82-foot-high brick tower and had four lights. By 1854, it had 15 lamps and 21 reflectors. A third order

fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

was installed in 1857 and the rotating light was varied by flashes. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

the Point (Port) Isabel Lighthouse was occupied by soldiers from both sides as a look-out post. After the Civil War, the lighthouse was refitted and returned to operation in 1866. In 1888, the light was temporarily discontinued as claimants proved that the United States government did not have title to the land, forcing the government to condemn the land in 1894 to acquire title. On July 15, 1895, the light returned to use. It operated for ten years, after which time it was extinguished in 1905. On Sept. 20, 1927, the government sold the lighthouse and land. A local citizen purchased it. In the late 1940s, a movement began to save the lighthouse as a historic site. On October 5, 1950, the Texas State Park Board accepted the lighthouse and surrounding land as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Lon C. Hill Jr., the owners at the time. The Texas State Park Board began restoring the lighthouse in 1951, and it was opened to the public in 1952. In September 1996, a new visitors center was completed. Today the lighthouse is operated as Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site. Port Isabel Lighthouse with 3rd Order Fresnel Lens

Port Isabel Lighthouse with 3rd Order Fresnel Lens

On November 16-17, 2022, a reproduction 3rd Order Fresnel Lens was installed in the Lighthouse and a celebration held on December 9, 2022. The site is owned by the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic L ...

but operated by the City of Port Isabel.

References

External links

"Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site" ''Texas Parks and Wildlife Department''

"Port Isabel Lighthouse" ''Texas Historic Sites Atlas''

Historical markers for the Old Point Isabel Lighthouse
{{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1854 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Buildings and structures in Cameron County, Texas Texas state historic sites Protected areas established in 1950 1950 establishments in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Cameron County, Texas 1854 establishments in Texas

See also

References

External links