Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo

Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo, also known as Los Morrillos Light, is a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

Faro Los Morrillos
Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo
Faro Los Morrillos
LocationCabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Coordinates17°56′01.2″N 67°11′31.9″W
Year first lit1882
Automated1967
FoundationStone
ConstructionStone
Tower shapeHexagonal
Tower height12 metre 
Focal height35 metre 
Original lensThird Order, Fresnel 1882
Range20 nautical mile 
CharacteristicFl W 20s 
ARLHS numberPUR-002
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Faro de los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo
Architectural styleNeoclassic
MPSLighthouse System of Puerto Rico TR
NRHP reference No.81000685 [1]

History

Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Puerto Rico, this lighthouse was constructed in 1882 in order to guide passing ships through the southeast entrance from the Caribbean Sea through the treacherous Mona Passage into the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is located over a white lime cliff which is surrounded by salt water lagoons and marshes. The cliffs surrounding the lighthouse drop over 200 feet into the ocean.

The lighthouse's architecture is distinguished by its simplicity, with minimal decoration and an unelaborated cornice repeated through the structure. The illuminating apparatus is housed in a cast-iron, copper and glass lantern. The lenticular lens was manufactured by the French firm Sautter, Lemonnier and Company.

Originally, the lighthouse was manned by two keepers and an engineer, who lived on the grounds with their families. In 1967 the lighthouse was renovated and its operation is currently completely automated. The structure itself has been abandoned for decades, although recent the local government as well as local civic groups, such as Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente, are pushing towards turning the old lighthouse keeper's house into a museum. The project was taken over by the municipality, an action that lost U.S. Federal government funds that had been assigned for it. The municipality took over the renovations, which, according to critics, has irrevocably damaged the historical significance of the internal structure.

  • Faro Cabo Rojo with ocean view
  • Coastal cliffs near the Faro Los Morrillos.
  • Faro Los Morrillos, c. 1895
  • View from one of the trails

See also

References
  1. "Inventory of Historic Light Stations National Park Service". Retrieved 2009-03-27.
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