Fort Point Light (Texas)

Fort Point Light

Undated photograph of Fort Point Light in Texas (USCG)
Location	Entrance to Galveston Bay, Texas
Coordinates	29°20′13″N 94°46′12″W / 29.337°N 94.770°W / 29.337; -94.770Coordinates: 29°20′13″N 94°46′12″W / 29.337°N 94.770°W / 29.337; -94.770 (approx.)
Year first constructed	1881
Year first lit	1882
Deactivated	1909
Foundation	screw-pile
Construction	cast-iron/wood
Tower shape	hexagonal house
Height	47 feet (14 m)
Original lens	Fourth order Fresnel lens
Characteristic	Fixed white with several red and dark sectors

For the light in San Francisco, see Fort Point Light (California).

Fort Point Light was a lighthouse located on the south side of the entrance to Galveston Bay in Texas.

History

This light was not long-lived. Although the land was reserved for the Republic of Texas as far back as 1836, Congress did not appropriate construction funds until 1878, and the light was not completed until 1882. Eleven years later, the light was discontinued, but the station continued to serve as a fog signal until 1950, with the light being dismantled three years later. A modern beacon stands near the site as a range light for one of the large ship channel segments.

References

• "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Texas". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 2008-01-11. 
• Galveston Bay, Texas (Map) (35 ed.). 1:80,000. NOAA. 2007. Chart 11326. Retrieved 2008-01-11.