Beacon of the Community
Port Lavaca's Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse provides some unexpected surprises.
By Jen Shugert
Have you ever made plans to tour a historical landmark but watched a circus instead? Have you knocked on the door of a seemingly empty lighthouse, just out of curiosity, only to have someone open it up? I certainly hadn't — until I visited Port Lavaca. It's the type of town where the everyday rubs shoulders with the unexpected, resulting in a bit of serendipity along the way. At least, it did for me.
Marking the entrance to Port Lavaca, the decommissioned Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse sits at the intersection of Texas Highway 35 and Broadway Street. Behind the lighthouse you can find the staples of an active community, the Bauer Community Center and Port Lavaca Chamber of Commerce.
When I arrived to view the lighthouse and its historical markers, the whistling, carnival sounds of a calliope echoing from the community center gave me pause. My curiosity got the better of me and I walked in. Inside the gymnasium was a small, pared-down circus complete with clowns, jugglers and a magic act. Local children sitting in folding chairs enjoyed the spectacle while munching on popcorn and cotton candy. Once the show ended, I mingled with parents as kids took turns riding the ponies.
When I identified myself as a tourist in Port Lavaca, most locals chuckled. They quickly let me know that Port Lavaca isn't much of a tourist town. Without big-budget tourism campaigns, all-inclusive resorts or rows of rented beach houses, Port Lavaca invites mingling among its people and taking part in day-to-day activities. The few tourists they do get are usually anglers from Houston. The locals pointed me toward their favorite Mexican restaurants and the city beach across the street.
That's when I realized I had forgotten all about the lighthouse. Tourists can walk directly up to the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse, just a few steps from the community center, and experience its charm firsthand. When I arrived, the lighthouse was locked. I walked around the wide hexagonal porch. Peering through the stiff shutters, I noticed a clean and remodeled interior but no way in.
This is where my curiosity got the better of me and that Port Lavaca serendipity kicked in. Without a way into the lighthouse, I couldn't think of anything else to do but knock. I knocked on the back door of a very empty public lighthouse. To my amazement, a voice shouted from the distance, “You can't get in that way!”
I stood frozen, staring at the door. Was the lighthouse speaking to me? Did I awaken a 150-year-old lighthouse?
“Hey, you can't get in that way! The door is locked.” I turned toward the voice to see a large man in uniform and reflective vest walking toward me. He made a face, confused about why I was knocking on the door of an abandoned lighthouse, and pulled out a handful of keys from his pocket. As one of its many caretakers, Juan Rodriguez from the Port Lavaca Parks and Recreation Department kindly permitted my entrance.
Juan shook my hand and offered me an impromptu tour. He explained that I was a little early for the public viewing. With the county finishing up renovation efforts, the lighthouse would not reopen to the public for another week. As we walked through the three bare rooms that make up the bottom floor of the lighthouse, he spouted facts and local history. Under a new coat of polish, the original cypress floors highlighted the house's unique design. The small, triangular closets in each room showcased the minimalism required for reef life.
The oldest surviving wooden lighthouse in Texas, the structure was built in 1858 and stood on the mud and oyster shell shoal of Half Moon Reef, guiding ships around Matagorda Bay. The lighthouse now resides on land, but it was stationed over the water when in service. Once the Civil War erupted, the Confederate military disabled the light to assist smugglers, known as southern blockade runners, who were evading federal authority. The lighthouse was restored in 1868, and it operated successfully until the notable 1942 hurricane season.
While the lighthouse survived the series of storms, its porch washed away and the structure slanted to the side. A local dredging company moved it to Point Comfort, where it remained until 1979, when community members requested that dredging company owner Bill Bauer donate the structure to the Calhoun County Historical Commission. Once restored in 1985, the lighthouse opened at its current location as a museum and historical landmark.
Tour guide Mary Bell Meitzen, former chair for the Calhoun County Historical Commission, told me that the lighthouse was undergoing repairs to fix recent damage and was being updated to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
An expert on local lighthouses, Mary Bell dresses in Republic of Texas period costume to educate local schoolchildren and tourists alike on the importance of local history. Tours are provided upon request through the Calhoun County Museum. If you can, Mary Bell recommends swinging by during the holidays. “It's a beautiful sight during Christmas. Generous community members adopt it and adorn it with lights, animated figures and trains, inside and out.”
As I walked away from the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse, I considered Juan's hospitality and asked if he could be considered the new lighthouse keeper. He laughed, “Oh man, I wish. If I could live in the lighthouse, I would take that job in an instant!”
It's clear through their impeccable maintenance of its history that the Port Lavaca community feels a strong sense of pride for the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse. On your next coastal adventure, the lighthouse is worth a stop, but it's the Port Lavaca community that will make your stay magical.
