National Register of Historic Places

Faro de Morro

San Juan, San Juan County, Puerto Rico
Listed
October 21, 1981
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000693

About this property

Faro del Castillo San Felipe del Morro (English: Lighthouse of Promontory Castle of Saint Phillip), also known as Puerto San Juan Light (Light of Port San Juan), and most commonly referred to as Faro del Morro (El Morro Lighthouse), is a lighthouse atop the walls of Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan. It's the first lighthouse built in Puerto Rico. The first Castillo San Felipe del Morro Lighthouse was built in 1846 and exhibited a light using five parabolic reflectors. In 1876, a new octagonal iron tower was constructed atop the walls of the fort . The tower was hit by U.S. artillery fire in the Puerto Rican Campaign of the Spanish–American War on May 12, 1898. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1899 but developed structural problems and was demolished in 1906. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1908. Public admission tours into the tower are held, and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, along with Castillo San Cristóbal and much of the city walls are part of the San Juan National Historic Site also open to the public.

Location

San Juan, San Juan County, Puerto Rico
18.47091, -66.12362

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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Nearby Historic Sites

San Juan National Historic Site (Additional Documentation)
Listed
0.1 mi
La Fortaleza
Colonial
0.4 mi
Edificio Patio Espanol
Industrial
0.5 mi
Puerto Rico Ilustrado-Edificio El Mundo
Industrial
0.5 mi
Distrito Historico del Viejo San Juan-Old San Juan Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Naval Bombardment of San Juan (Puerto Rico)
1898Frontier
1.2 mi
Ponce de León Conquest of Puerto Rico 1508
1508Colonial
1.2 mi
Carib Raids on Puerto Rico 1514–1530
1514Colonial
1.2 mi
Bombardment of San Juan (Puerto Rico 1898)
1898Frontier
1.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Faro de Morro listed on the National Register?

Faro de Morro was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Faro de Morro?

Faro de Morro is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Faro de Morro?

The period of significance for Faro de Morro is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Faro de Morro?

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