Texas Lighthouses

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state (after Alaska), but its long and relatively featureless coast on the Gulf of Mexico has never required very many lighthouses. And unfortunately, the number of historic Texas lighthouses has fallen from 7 to 5 since 2000. In May 2000 the Galveston Jetty Light collapsed into the Gulf during a severe thunderstorm, and in early 2002 the Coast Guard demolished the Sabine Bank Light. Of the five remaining historic lights, only two, Matagorda and Lydia Ann, are active, both under private maintenance. There is no state preservation society, but two impressive restoration projects have been completed at the Point Isabel and Matagorda Island towers. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. USCG numbers are from Volume IV of the U.S. Coast Guard Light List. What's Hot: General Sources Texas Lighthouses Historical accounts and photos posted by the Texas State Historical Association. Texas Lighthouses Fine photos and accounts for the 7 historic light stations, by Kraig Anderson. Gulf Coast Lighthouses Posted by Lowell Thomas, this site has pages reporting recent information on nearly all of the Texas lighthouses. The Lighthouse People - Texas Photos from visits by Bob and Sandra Shanklin. Texas Lights Photos and accounts by Zachary Yarnes; this site includes the inland lights.

Port Isabel Light, August 2003 Creative Commons photo posted by Larry Weiss

Lighthouses
[Sabine Bank (1) (lantern)]

1906. Inactive since 2001. Lantern and watch room of the Sabine Bank lighthouse, which was demolished in 2001-02. The lantern is painted white and the watch room red. The original 3° Fresnel lens is on display at the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur. The lighthouse, a 72 ft (22 m) cast iron sparkplug tower, was long on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List due to its advanced state of deterioration. In March 2001, the Coast Guard announced its intention to demolish the structure. Work on the demolition began in January 2002 and was completed by April. The lantern and watch room were salvaged and restored for display in Sabine Pass. Sabine Pass suffered catastrophic damage during Hurricane Rita in September 2005, but the lantern survived; TexasEscapes.com has a March 2007 photo (second photo on the page). Located in Bert Karrer-Lions Park at 7th Avenue and Broadway in Sabine Pass. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Sabine Pass.

Sabine Bank (2)

2002 (station established 1906). Active; focal plane 30 ft (9 m); quick-flashing white light. Red conical tower mounted on the concrete and iron caisson of the original Sabine Bank lighthouse. The caisson is painted white. No photo available. Located in the open Gulf of Mexico 15 miles (25 km) southwest of the Sabine River entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-712; Admiralty J3996; USCG 4-1075.

* Bolivar Point (Port Bolivar) 1873. Inactive since 1933. 117 ft (36 m) cast iron tower (brick lined). The 3° Fresnel lens used from 1907 to 1933 is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington DC. Two 1-story keeper's quarters are used as private residences; one was being restored to its historical appearance in 2003. A photo appears at right. The lighthouse was sold at auction in 1947 and has been privately owned since then. The movie My Sweet Charlie was filmed at the lighthouse in 1968. Now black with rust, the tower is probably endangered by lack of maintenance. Watch list. Located just off TX 87 near 7th Street in Port Bolivar; Google has an excellent satellite view. Site and tower closed (private property). Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-069.

Bolivar Point Light, August 2005 Creative Commons photo by L. H. Dugger

#Galveston South Jetty

1918. Inactive since 1972. Destroyed; originally 84 ft (26 m) cylindrical steel tower incorporating 3-story keeper's quarters and mounted on a concrete jetty. The original 3° Fresnel lens is on display at the Galveston County Historical Museum, and the lantern is on display at Galveston College (next entry). Sibling of the Angel's Gate lighthouse at Los Angeles. A severe thunderstorm toppled the light into the Gulf on May 2, 2000. Lowell Thomas has photos of the wreckage. Plans had been underway to relocate the lighthouse to Galveston Island State Park at the other end of the city, where it could have been restored and opened to visitors. At last report, the ruins were still where they fell at the end of the jetty. Located at the end of a long jetty extending into the Gulf on the south side of the entrance into Galveston Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-315; Admiralty J4030.

* [Galveston South Jetty (lantern)]

1918. Inactive since 1972. The lantern of the collapsed Galveston South Jetty lighthouse was salvaged and restored; it now stands atop a 40 ft (12 m) decorative steel tower in Beacon Square on the campus of Galveston College. A closeup photo is available. A dedication ceremony was held November 8, 2006. Located at 39th Street and Avenue Q in Galveston. Site open, tower closed.

* Kemah

2006. Active (privately maintained and unofficial); focal plane 46 m (151 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 144 ft (44 m) round cylindrical steel water tower with lantern and gallery at the top. Tower painted with dark blue and white horizontal bands; lantern painted red. An acrylic replica 3° Fresnel lens is in use. The city's water department has posted photos. Located at Kipp Avenue and Second Street in Kemah, on the south side of the entrance to Clear Lake from Galveston Bay. Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed.

* South Shore Harbour

Date unknown. Active (privately maintained and unofficial). Approx. 75 ft (23 m) 16-sided tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. More information is needed on this interesting private lighthouse. Located on the south side of Clear Lake in League City, on an island at the end of Lighthouse Boulevard; Google has a satellite view. Accessible by a short walk from the end of the street. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center. ARLHS USA-1184.

[Brazos River (lantern)]

1896. Inactive since 1967, when the lighthouse, a 96 ft (29 m) square pyramidal skeletal tower, was demolished. Sibling of Sanibel Island FL. The lantern room and original 3° clamshell Fresnel lens are on display at the Brazoria County Historical Museum in Angleton. The original site, about 1 mile (1.5 km) southwest of the Brazos River entrance, is owned by Dow Chemical and is closed to the public. ARLHS USA-079.

*** Halfmoon Reef

1858 (Walter H. Stevens). Inactive since 1942 (a decorative flashing light is displayed). 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal wood keeper's house surmounted by a hexagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. This lighthouse was originally located on a screwpile platform off Palacios Point in Matagorda Bay. The lighthouse was deactivated, sold, and relocated onshore following a 1942 hurricane. In 1978, it was donated by its owner, Bill Bauer, to the Calhoun County Historical Commission. Bauer also endowed a trust fund for future maintenance. The lighthouse was relocated a second time to the Port Lavaca Community Parkin Port Lavaca, where it is in service as the Port Lavaca Visitors Center. Located at the intersection of TX 35 and TX 238 at the northeastern entrance to Port Lavaca; Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Site and lighthouse open daily. Owner/site manager: Calhoun County Historical Society. ARLHS USA-363.

* Matagorda

1852 (relocated inland 1873) (Hiram G. Runnels). Reactivated (inactive 1995-1999, now privately maintained); focal plane 90 ft (27.5 m); white flash every 3 s. 79 ft (24 m) tapered cast iron tower, painted black, solar-powered 250 mm lens. The original 3° Fresnel lens is on display at the Calhoun County Museum in Port Lavaca. The keeper's house and all other light station buildings have been demolished. This is the first lighthouse built in Texas. Originally a sibling of Pass a l'Outre Light LA, the tower was raised from 65 ft (20 m) to 79 ft (24 m) when it was relocated, giving it an unusual tapered profile. The Matagorda Island Foundation raised over $1 million to preserve the lighthouse, and the beacon was relit December 31, 1999. After three years of work, the restored lighthouse was rededicated June 11, 2004. In later phases of the project, the keeper's house will be rebuilt and a visitor center will be built at the state park dock. Anderson has good photos. The lighthouse is located in the Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area. There is no regular ferry service, but boats can be chartered from Port O'Connor. Located near the northeast end of Matagorda Island, opposite Port O'Connor; Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Texas Parks and Wildlife (leased to Calhoun County). Site manager: Matagorda Island Foundation. ARLHS USA-482; USCG 4-1312.

*** Texas Maritime Museum (Rockport)

2003. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 43 ft (13 m); quick-flashing white light. 48 ft (14.5 m) square tower with a broad observation gallery, pyramidal roof, and a small lantern at the peak. The tower is painted black with a white trapezoidal daymark on the front face; observation room painted white; roof is red. The regional navigation district has posted a photo of the view from the gallery. An addition to the museum built in 2003, the building houses exhibits related to Texas lighthouses. Located at 1202 Navigation Circle on the waterfront at Rockport, on the west side of Aransas Bay. Site open; museum and tower open daily except Mondays (admission fee). Owner/site manager: Texas Maritime Museum. ARLHS USA-1247; USCG 4-37036.

Lydia Ann Channel (Aransas Pass) 1857 (Walter H. Stevens). Reactivated (inactive1952-1988; now privately maintained); focal plane 65 ft (20 m); continuous white light. 68 ft (21 m) octagonal red brick tower. Lantern painted white. The original 4° Fresnel lens is on display at the Port Aransas Civic Center. The lighthouse is a sibling of the Sabine Pass (Louisiana) Light, but without the buttresses added to that lighthouse. The 1-story frame keeper's quarters (1919) is occupied by resident keepers. The light station was restored and is maintained by the current owner, Charles Butt, owner of the HEB grocery chain. The keepers light the lens each night. Lowell Thomas also has a page on the lighthouse. Located adjacent to the Lydia Ann Channel on the north side of Aransas Pass. Google has a satellite view. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-018; Admiralty J4212; USCG 4-37710. **** Port Isabel (Point Isabel) 1853 (John E. Garrey). Inactive since 1905. 57 ft (17 m) brick tower, painted white; lantern and gallery black. Replica of 1-story frame 1855 keeper's quarters (1995) houses a small museum and the office of the local Chamber of Commerce. The lighthouse reopened in late July 2000 following a major restoration; the Robinson Iron Company has photos of its work on the lantern and other cast iron fixtures. Located on TX 100 at Tarnava Street in Port Isabel, at the west end of the bridge to Padre Island. Google has a satellite view. Site and tower open daily except Mondays (small admission fee). Owner: Texas Parks and Wildlife (Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historical Site). Site manager: Museums of Port Isabel. ARLHS USA-649.

Lydia Ann Channel Light, June 2007 anonymous Creative Commons photo

Inland Lighthouses
* Lake Conroe (Harbour Town)

1977 (rebuilt 1999). Active; characteristics unknown. 90 ft (27 m) octagonal cylindrical tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands to resemble the well-known Harbour Town Light at Hilton Head, South Carolina. An excellent photo is available. The lighthouse was rebuilt after being heavily damaged by a tornado in 1999. Located off Lakeshore Drive on a point jutting into the east side of the lake, about 4 mi (6 km) west of I-45 exit 92 near Willis. Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Harbour Town on Lake Conroe. ARLHS USA-1187.

* Lake Canyon Yacht Club

1985. Active; characteristics unknown. Approx. 25 ft (7.5 m) octagonal wooden tower with lantern, painted white; lantern is turquoise. A closeup photo is available This was originally a faux lighthouse built as part of the Boston Sea Party restaurant in San Antonio. When the restaurant was demolished in 1985, the lighthouse was donated to the club and relocated. The base of the tower includes a room used for hearing race protests. Located on a bluff above the docks of the yacht club, off Mt. Lookout Drive on the north shore of Canyon Lake in Comal County, about 45 mi (72 km) north of San Antonio. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Lake Canyon Yacht Club.

* Horseshoe Bay

1972. Active; characteristics unknown. 55 ft (17 m) square tower with a large observation room; the navigation beacon is on the roof. Located at the end of Lighthouse Drive and of a long breakwater extending into Lake Lyndon B. Johnson at Horseshoe Bay, about 45 mi (72 km) northwest of Austin. Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower status unknown. Owner/site manager: unknown.

Lake Buchanan

1984. Inactive since 1990. 110 ft (33.5 m) square concrete tower with gallery, topped by a large square observation room. Built privately, this lighthouse was not a success commercially; it was repossessed by a bank in 1990 and has been deteriorating since. Located near Buchanan Dam off TX 29 about halfway between Burnet and Llano and 60 mi (96 km) northwest of Austin; Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed, although the lighthouse is easily seen from the state highway. Owner/site manager: private.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Brazos Santiago (1854-1940), South Padre Island. ARLHS USA-081.
• Clopper's Bar (1854-1880), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-1136.
• Corpus Christi (1859-1878). ARLHS USA-1137.
• Double Bayou (1900-1915), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-1179.
• East Shoal (1872-1875), Pass Cavallo. ARLHS USA-1138.
• Fort Point (1882-1909), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-297.
• Galveston North Jetty (1897-?). ARLHS USA-1193.
• Halfmoon Shoal (1854-about 1900), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-1157.
• Pelican Spit (around 1860). ARLHS USA-1180.
• Redfish Bar (1854-1936), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-1181.
• Redfish Bar Cut (1900-1936), Galveston Bay. ARLHS USA-691.
• Saluria (1858-1861). ARLHS USA-1139.
• Swash (1858-1861), Matagorda Bay. ARLHS USA-1182.
• West Shoal (1872-1875), Pass Cavallo. ARLHS USA-1140.

Notable faux lighthouses:

• Half Moon Shoal replica (1998), Texas City, is an unenclosed visitor center and thus not a faithful replication of the original lighthouse.
• Stow-a-Way Marina (Lake Conroe), about one mile (1.6 km ) north of the well-known Harbour Town lighthouse, has a functioning light, but it does not serve as an aid to navigation. ARLHS USA-1211.

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index

Checked and revised July 31, 2007. Lighthouses: 13. Site copyright 2007 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.