Moonlight Towers
National Register of Historic Places

Moonlight Towers

Austin, Travis County, Texas
Listed
July 11, 1976
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76002071

About this property

The moonlight towers in Austin, Texas, are the only known surviving moonlight towers in the world. They are 165 feet (50 m) tall and have a 15-foot (4.6 m) foundation. A single tower casts light from six carbon arc lamps, illuminating a 1,500-foot-radius (460 m) circle brightly enough to read a watch. In 1970, the towers were recognized as Texas State Landmarks, followed by the 15 remaining towers being listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 1976. Only 6 are in their original locations as established by the Board of Public Works and City Council in 1895.

Location

Austin, Travis County, Texas
30.27165, -97.74506

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCEENGINEERINGSOCIAL 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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Royal Arch Masonic Lodge
Industrial
0 mi
Hirshfeld, Henry, House and Cottage
Industrial
0 mi
Austin Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Austin Central Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wooldridge Park
Civil War
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Battle Creek (1838)
1840Early Republic
0.3 mi
Travis County Archaic Period Violence — Texas
1000Pre-Columbian
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Moonlight Towers listed on the National Register?

Moonlight Towers was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Moonlight Towers?

Moonlight Towers is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Moonlight Towers?

The period of significance for Moonlight Towers is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Moonlight Towers?

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