Port Bolivar Lighthouse
by Judy Vincent
Title
Port Bolivar Lighthouse
Artist
Judy Vincent
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A tall, dark lighthouse dominates the landscape, with its light at the top peering out into the sky. Adjacent to it, a classic wooden house with a porch sits peacefully, while an American flag flutters in the wind nearby.
Port Bolivar Lighthouse 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 the mid-1850s 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. It also survived another hurricane, in 1915, 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. In 1947 the lighthouse was sold and, although still standing, is not open to the public. The 1970 film My Sweet Charlie, starring Patty Duke and Al Freeman Jr. was filmed at the lighthouse and adjacent caretaker's house.
After withstanding over 150 years of erosion, the lighthouse is now entirely black. This has caused some to call it "The Haunted Lighthouse" of Bolivar.
This image has been featured in the following groups:
500 Views - 4/20/15
Southern Photographers - 4/21/15
Landscape and Landmark Photography - 4/24/15
Exploration Photography - 12/14/15
Images That Excite You - 12/16/15
No Place Like Home - 8/21/16
Canon Full Frame Cameras - 9/2/19
Lady Photographers and Artists - 9/5/19
Lighthouse Group - 10/13/19
Uploaded
May 24th, 2011
Statistics
Viewed 3,262 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/18/2024 at 10:40 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet