Point Bolivar Light is a historic lighthouse 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 Henry R. Hazlehurst (1815-1900) was an American civil engineer. Long employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, he also helped build the first rail link between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and points south. Hazlehurst was born in Abingdon, Oxford ...

, 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 Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galves ...

, 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. In 1947, the lighthouse was sold and, although still standing, is not open to the public. The 1970 film ''

My Sweet Charlie ''My Sweet Charlie'' is a 1970 American made-for-television drama film directed by Lamont Johnson. The teleplay by Richard Levinson and William Link is based on the novel of the same name by David Westheimer. Produced by Universal Television and ...

'', starring

Patty Duke Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awa ...

and

Al Freeman Jr. Albert Cornelius Freeman Jr. (March 21, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American actor, director, and educator. A life member of The Actors Studio, Freeman appeared in a wide variety of plays, ranging from Leroi Jones' ''Slave/Toilet'' to Joe ...

was filmed at the lighthouse and adjacent caretaker's house. The

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * De ...

took possession of the lighthouse in 1935. It was transferred to the

War 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 ...

, sold to rancher Elmer V. Boyt, and remains in the family.Lighthousefriends.com
Retrieved 2014-12-19

Current

After withstanding over 150 years of erosion, the lighthouse has rusted to a dark brown color. BolivarLighthouse

The lighthouse is adjacent to the Houston Audubon Society's Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary.

References

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