Location | Culebrita, Culebra, Puerto Rico |
---|---|
Coordinates | 18°18′49″N65°13′39″W / 18.31361°N 65.22750°W |
Tower | |
Construction | 1882 |
Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
Light | |
First lit | 1886 |
Deactivated | 1975 |
Faro Isla de Culebrita | |
Nearest city | Culebra, Puerto Rico |
Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
Built | 1886 |
MPS | Lighthouse System of Puerto Rico TR |
NRHP reference No. | 81000686 [1] |
Added to NRHP | October 22, 1981 |
Culebrita Lighthouse (Spanish: Faro Culebrita) is the only remaining Spanish-era structure in the Culebra archipelago. Construction of the lighthouse began on September 25, 1882, and was completed on February 25, 1886. The Spanish Crown built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra. It is the most eastern light outside mainland Puerto Rico. It guided navigation through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound connecting in the Puerto Rico Light System with the Cape San Juan Light.
It is located on Culebrita, a mile-long, half-a-mile-wide key off Culebra, an island-municipality of Puerto Rico. [2]
It was one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.
The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 1981, and to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2001; [3] however, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused extensive damage, and in 1995 the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success. The lighthouse is in danger of collapsing. [4]
Isla Culebra is an island, town and municipality of Puerto Rico and geographically part of the Spanish Virgin Islands. It is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) east of the Puerto Rican mainland, 12 miles (19 km) west of St. Thomas and 9 miles (14 km) north of Vieques. Culebra is spread over 5 barrios and Culebra Pueblo (Dewey), the main town and the administrative center of the island. Residents of the island are known as culebrenses. With a population of 1,792 as of the 2020 Census, it is Puerto Rico's least populous municipality.
Isla Culebrita is a small, uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipelago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, and Pelá and Pelaita to the west, it belongs to the barrio Fraile of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and is part of the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. The island is home to Culebrita Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses in the Caribbean. Culebrita is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.
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Mona Island Light, also known as Faro de la Isla de la Mona, is a historic lighthouse located on the island of Mona, Puerto Rico, in the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It is the only lighthouse built of iron and steel in Puerto Rico. While some sources reported that the structure was designed by Gustav Eiffel, who also designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris, recent studies have shown that the tower was designed around 1885 by Spanish engineer Rafael Ravena.
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Guánica Light was a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Guánica, Puerto Rico in the Guánica State Forest. It was first lit in 1893 and deactivated in 1950. The light marked the entrance to Guánica Bay and bridge the gap between Los Morrillos Light and Caja de Muertos Light.
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Paseo Víctor Rojas, also known as El Fuerte or Paseo de Damas, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, was built in 1881. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000.
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