About this property
Point Bolivar Light is a historic lighthouse in Port Bolivar, Texas, that was built in 1872. It served for 61 years before being retired in 1933, when its function was replaced by a different light. The current lighthouse is at least the second structure at the site. The first lighthouse was built in 1852 of cast iron made at the Baltimore foundry of Murray and Hazlehurst, and was pulled down during the Civil War so that Union warships could not use it as a navigational aid. During the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the lighthouse served as a shelter for at least 125 people, saving their lives. In 1915, the lighthouse also survived another hurricane, where winds of 126 miles per hour were recorded. The first lighthouse keeper, H. C. Claiborne, retired in 1918, after witnessing those two storms, and was replaced by a Captain J. Brooks. From the 1890s until the line's abandonment in 1942, the lighthouse looked down on the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway line that ran between it and Texas State Highway 87. The War Department took possession of the lighthouse in 1935. It was transferred to the War Assets Administration. In 1947, the lighthouse was sold to rancher Elmer V. Boyt, and remains in the family. The 1970 film My Sweet Charlie, starring Patty Duke and Al Freeman Jr. was filmed at the lighthouse and adjacent caretaker's house. Although still standing, is not open to the public. After withstanding over 150 years of erosion, the lighthouse has rusted to a dark brown color. The lighthouse is adjacent to the Houston Audubon Society's Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary. National Register of Historic Places listings in Galveston County, Texas Bolivar Lighthouse from the Handbook of Texas Online
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about Point Bolivar Lighthouse
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Questions about this property
When was Point Bolivar Lighthouse listed on the National Register?
Point Bolivar Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 17, 1977.
What type of historic resource is Point Bolivar Lighthouse?
Point Bolivar Lighthouse is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Point Bolivar Lighthouse?
The period of significance for Point Bolivar Lighthouse is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1872.
Can I research the history near Point Bolivar Lighthouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Point Bolivar Lighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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