Austin's Historic Moonlight Towers
historic place
In Austin, Travis County, stand the historic Moonlight Towers. These distinctive structures were erected between 1894 and 1895. The City of Austin purchased 31 surplus towers from Detroit. They were manufactured by the Fort Wayne Electric Company and assembled on-site. Standing approximately 165 feet tall, their original purpose was to illuminate the city. Each tower was equipped with carbon arc lights, designed to cast light over a wide area. Today, 17 of these towers remain. Austin's Moonlight Towers are the only known surviving examples of this type of lighting system in the world. A historical marker states that 27 remained out of 31 at the time of its erection, and they have been in continuous use since. Their original carbon arc lights have since been replaced with mercury vapor lamps. These lamps now provide beacons from dusk to dawn. The Moonlight Towers represent Austin's unique and dramatic approach to city lighting from the late 19th century.