Half Moon Reef Lighthouse

The light now stands in Lighthouse Park, at the foot of a fishing pier made from the old Lavaca Bay causeway. Hurricane Carla badly damaged that causeway in 1961, it was abandoned, and part of it became the 3,200-foot Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier. The park around the lighthouse has a man-made sand beach and a nature walk into the wetlands. The Handbook notes that the lighthouse looks more like the lights of Chesapeake Bay than those of the Texas coast, and in 1991 it was one of three left in the state.

What the plaque says

Half Moon Reef Lighthouse Constructed in 1858, this three-story hexagonal lighthouse was originally located in Matagorda Bay, at the southern tip of Half Moon reef. The beacon served as an aid to ships trading in Port Lavaca and the nearby town of Indianola (14 mi. SE). During the Civil War the light was disabled by Confederate troops in an attempt to disrupt federal efforts to capture southern blockade runners. The lighthouse was restored to full operation in 1868 and remained in service until 1943 when it was moved to Point Comfort (7 mi. NE). It was relocated here in 1979. (1980)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Port Lavaca — steps away
• First Baptist Church of Port Lavaca — 1.0 mi
• Alsatian Immigration Through Lavaca Bay — 1.1 mi
• Civil War Bombardment of Port Lavaca — 1.3 mi