National Register of Historic Places

Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan

Soroco, San Juan County, Puerto Rico
Listed
October 21, 1981
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000692

About this property

Cape San Juan Light (Faro de Las Cabezas de San Juan) is a historic lighthouse located on the northeastern part of the highest point of Cape San Juan in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The lighthouse was constructed in 1880 and was officially lit on May 2, 1882. The original illuminating apparatus, not changed until after 1898, had an 18-mile (29 km) range and displayed a fixed white light which every three minutes flashed red. The lighthouse owned by the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust is part of the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve. The 316-acre (128 ha) reserve includes a bioluminescence bay, rare flora and fauna, various trails and boardwalks, and a scientific research center. Despite its small size, the reserve shelters seven different ecological systems, including beaches, lagoons, dry forest, coral reefs and mangroves. In 1898, the lighthouse played a major role in the Battle of Fajardo during the Puerto Rican Campaign of the Spanish–American War. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States government on October 22, 1981, and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000. In 2001, under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, it became the first lighthouse to be transferred to a non-governmental organization in Puerto Rico.

Location

Soroco, San Juan County, Puerto Rico
18.38127, -65.61800

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURECOMMUNICATIONSSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

US Custom House
Industrial
3.4 mi
Church Santiago Apostol of Fajardo
Industrial
4.5 mi
Williams Products Corporation
Pre Contact
6.6 mi
Ceiba Fire Station
Modern
8.2 mi
Bano Grande
Industrial
12.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Engagement at Cape San Juan (Puerto Rico)
1898Frontier
0.2 mi
Battle of Fajardo (Puerto Rico 1898)
1898Frontier
4.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan listed on the National Register?

Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan?

Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan?

The period of significance for Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Faro de las Cabezas de San Juan?

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