| |
by
Johnny Stucco
Officially
recognized as state archeological landmarks in 1970
Listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1976
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Austin
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| | Moonlight
Tower -
Looking up from ground level.
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
Hiding
in plain sight around the downtown area and a few neighborhoods, these 165-foot
industrial artifacts could (collectively) be considered an outdoor museum.
They are (collectively) listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, in the entire United States, only Austin
has surviving examples of this type of lighting system that was once popular in
many U.S. cities during the late 1800s. Seventeen (of the original thirty-one)
towers are scattered around "old" Austin - with the greatest concentration being
around the Capitol. Surprisingly, only a few have been lost to automobile mishaps.
A complete list of locations (as of 1985) can be found in T. Lindsay Baker's
Building the Lone Star. |
| | The
actual Lights -atop the tower.
Photo by John
Troesser, 10-04 |
| | Intricate
hardware - the wheel was part of a hand-operated elevator that brought workmen
to the top.
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
The
towers are actually 150 feet tall with a fifteen-foot foundation. They were shipped
from the manufacturer in Indiana and assembled on site. When first installed,
the towers were connected to their own electric generators at the Colorado River
dam. The area lighted was a 1,500 foot radius and it was meant to provide enough
light to read a watch by.
Over the years they were switched from their
original carbon-arc lamps to incandescent lamps in the 20s to mercury-vapor lamps
in the 1930s. When they were carbon-arc, the light was brighter, however, nightly
inspections were required. Mercury-vapor lighting allowed the installation of
a simple switch at the towers base. Wartime considerations required a central
switch in case a blackout was necessary. |
| | One
of the recently attached plaques.
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
The
Moonlight Towers were officially recognized as state archeological landmarks in
1970 and six years later they were listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.
In 1993 the city of Austin dismantled the towers and restored
them down to every bolt, turnbuckle
and guy wire. Our
visit in 2004 showed the restoration to holding up well. The work appears as though
it was completed last week. |
| | Austin's
Moonlight Tower - looking up
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
| | The
warning. Shortly after installation - there was a suicide.
Photo by John Troesser,
10-04 |
| The only
recent addition to the towers, besides the historical plaques, has been the signage
warning people not to climb them. |
| | Austin's
Moonlight Tower's hardware close up
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
| | Moonlight
Tower -
Looking up from ground level.
Photo by John Troesser, 10-04 |
Austin
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©
John Troesser
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share information, stories or vintage photos
of the Moonlight Towers, or local history and vintage/historic photos of their
town, please contact
us. | |
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