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 lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

located in

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

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

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

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

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 (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The simpler Dioptrics, d ...

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

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

the Point (Port) Isabel Lighthouse was occupied by

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

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 U.S. state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Histor ...

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