Punta Higuero Lighthouse, also known as Faro de Punta Higuero, is an historic lighthouse located in
Rincón, Puerto Rico
Rincón () is a popular beach town and municipality of Puerto Rico founded in 1771 by Don Luis de Añasco, who previously founded Añasco in 1733. It is located in the Western Coastal Valley, west of Añasco and Aguada. Rincón is spread over ...
. The original building was built in 1892 by the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
government and was rebuilt in 1922 by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
.
In 1892 the original light was built as a fixed white, 6th order dioptric station and had a light beam. According to the
Historic American Engineering Record
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
, "Its
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
appearance came from an elaborate combination of exposed and indented brick work in the facades—around doors and windows—and corners." The "castle" look was further emphasized by reddish
stucco
Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...
imitating stone-work on all facades and the very elaborate exposed brick cornice topped by a parapet built in lace-like brick-work. The
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 ...
was severely damaged by the
1918 earthquake that struck the west part of the island.
The new light was placed in commission on January 12, 1922. The building suffered fire damage after the light was automated in 1933 and was later razed. The town of Rincón built ''El Faro Park'' around the lighthouse, a popular spot for surfing and whale watching.
Gallery
Original Punta Higuera light (Rincon, PR).jpg, Punta Higuero Light, ca 1898
Park next to the Rincon lighthouse, PR - panoramio.jpg, Park next to the Rincón lighthouse
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Puerto Rico
The lighthouses system of Puerto Rico consists of lighthouses that were built mostly during the last twenty years of the nineteenth century. These served as guides to important marine routes.
In 1869 the Spanish government approved the first pl ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Historic American Engineering Record in Puerto Rico
Lighthouses completed in 1892
Lighthouses completed in 1922
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico
1892 establishments in Puerto Rico
Spanish Colonial architecture in Puerto Rico
1922 establishments in Puerto Rico