Point Bolivar Light on:
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Point Bolivar Light is a historic
Lighthousefriends.com
Retrieved 2014-12-19
The lighthouse is adjacent to the Houston Audubon Society's Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary.
A tribute to the lighthouse
*
Houston Audubon Society
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1872 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Galveston County, Texas Buildings and structures in Galveston County, Texas History of Galveston, Texas Tourist attractions in Galveston County, Texas
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
in Port Bolivar, Texas, that was built in 1872. It served for 61 years before being retired in 1933, when its function was replaced by a different light.
The current lighthouse is at least the second structure at the site. The first lighthouse was built in 1852 of cast iron made at the Baltimore foundry of Murray and Hazlehurst, and was pulled down during the Civil War so that Union warships could not use it as a navigational aid.
History
During the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the lighthouse served as a shelter for at least 125 people, saving their lives. In 1915, the lighthouse also survived another hurricane, where winds of 126 miles per hour were recorded. The first lighthouse keeper, H. C. Claiborne, retired in 1918, after witnessing those two storms, and was replaced by a Captain J. Brooks. From the 1890s until the line's abandonment in 1942, the lighthouse looked down on the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway line that ran between it and Texas State Highway 87. The War Department took possession of the lighthouse in 1935. It was transferred to theWar Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Or ...
. In 1947, the lighthouse was sold to rancher Elmer V. Boyt, and remains in the family. The 1970 film '' My Sweet Charlie'', starring Patty Duke
Anna Marie Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016), known professionally as Patty Duke, was an American actress. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ...
and Al Freeman Jr. was filmed at the lighthouse and adjacent caretaker's house. Although still standing, is not open to the public. Retrieved 2014-12-19
Current
After withstanding over 150 years of erosion, the lighthouse has rusted to a dark brown color.
The lighthouse is adjacent to the Houston Audubon Society's Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary.
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Galveston County, TexasReferences
External links
A tribute to the lighthouse
*
Houston Audubon Society
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1872 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Galveston County, Texas Buildings and structures in Galveston County, Texas History of Galveston, Texas Tourist attractions in Galveston County, Texas