Matagorda Island Lighthouse
Also known as: Matagorda Lighthouse
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Why it's listed
Rising 92 feet above the northern tip of Matagorda Island, this black cast-iron lighthouse marks the entrance to Matagorda Bay through Pass Cavallo. Its iron plates, about a quarter to half an inch thick, are bolted together at flanged edges and braced to a central iron column that carries a spiral stair to the lantern. It rests on a circular brick foundation. The tower replaced an 1852 lighthouse that Confederate troops tried to blow up during the Civil War and that the Gulf later threatened to wash away. After the original was dismantled and a new site bought, construction began in July 1873, and the light was first lit on September 1, 1873. The nomination identifies it as the only Texas lighthouse built entirely of cast iron, and its design needed no interior brick wall for support. It originally guided ships to Port Lavaca and Indianola and remains an automated Coast Guard beacon.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the sole surviving lighthouse on the Texas coast erected entirely in cast iron. It rebuilt the original 1852 lighthouse, which Confederate troops damaged in the Civil War. Its self-supporting iron structure was more advanced than the second Bolivar Point lighthouse, and it served the ports of Port Lavaca and Indianola.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84001624, listed September 18, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Matagorda Island, Port O'Connor |
|---|---|
| County | Calhoun County |
| Listed | September 18, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001624 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900 (period box on the form); specific date 1872 |
| Architect / builder | Lighthouse Service, U.S. Coast Guard |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as an automated battery-powered beacon, with no permanent keeper quarters nearby; in good condition with peeling black paint and some broken lantern glass. Form lists present use as vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 28.33794, -96.42402 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84001624.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6785980
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.