PHOTOS: Frank Billingsley gets a look inside Bolivar Peninsula’s iconic lighthouse under restoration

HOUSTON – KPRC 2′s own meteorologist Frank Billingsley got a personal look inside an area iconic landmark this month.

What icon? The Bolivar Peninsula Lighthouse

The Bolivar Peninsula’s Lighthouse was built in 1872 on the eastern end of Galveston Island. At a towering 117 feet, it served as a black-and-white striped welcoming beacon that guided thousands of ships into Galveston Bay from its perch on the Bolivar Peninsula for 61 years.

Some 150 years and several natural disasters later, the lighthouse still stands, a weathered and rusted testament to its enduring service to Gulf Coast mariners.

According to the Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation, during the devastating Galveston Hurricane of 1900, 125 souls sought refuge within the brick walls of the lighthouse. Although the storm claimed an estimated 8,000 lives on Galveston Island, all 125 people in the lighthouse survived, thanks to the structural integrity of the landmark. The lighthouse weathered another formidable storm through the 126 mph winds in the Hurricane of 1915 and held strong through Hurricane Ike in 2008.

An end of an era

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1933 and auctioned in 1947. Owners of the historic landmark attested that the years of service and extreme weather endurance have taken a toll on the physical state of the Bolivar Point Lighthouse. The structure has accumulated significant damage over the years, including a dangerous amount of rust and erosion. An assessment in 2018 found that the cupola was in dire need of restoration, citing an alarming risk of structural failure in high winds for the dome-like structure at the top of the lighthouse.

Rebirth and restoration

Aiming to address these repairs, Mark Boyt and Michael Maxwell (descendants of the first private owners of the lighthouse in 1947) chartered the Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation (BPLF). The BPLF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the lighthouse, commemorating its rich history, and eventually opening up the landmark to the public for the first time.

The BPLF issued a restoration plan on May 4, detailing the first phase of their reconstruction: a removal of the top section of the lighthouse tower. The lighthouse’s copula, or ‘crown’, was successfully removed on May 15. The BPLF encouraged public support for the restoration through inviting Gulf Coast residents to attend the copula removal and live streaming the event on their Facebook page. The organization has promised further renovations to come soon, as the lighthouse also requires reconstruction of a new copula and some wall and iron restoration, as well as a new black-and-white paint job.

Witness to a new day

KPRC 2’s own meteorologist Frank Billingsley got a personal look inside the historic lighthouse in a private tour on June 11, walking through the structure’s weathered brick interior and admiring the newly sealed-off top of the tower as well as the rusted iron exterior.

Here are some photos from his recent visit:

BPLF also plans to showcase the removed lighthouse dome for the public – not the first time parts of the lighthouse have served in a historical exhibit. The lighthouse’s lamp and reflector lenses are key artifacts in the Smithsonian’s On the Water exhibit in Washington, D.C.

How you can help the restoration effort

The Bolivar Lighthouse renovations are estimated to cost BPLF $5 million. You can help with the preservation of this monument and Texas history by donating through the organization’s website.