BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas — A prominent Bolivar Peninsula landmark that has been watching over the entrance to Galveston Bay for 147 years is in danger of falling apart.
At 117 feet tall, the Bolivar Point Lighthouse guided mariners for 61 years before it was replaced in 1993.
It’s been through multiple hurricanes and even survived the Texas City Blast.
Today the lighthouse is on the brink of total disrepair according to one of its owners, Mark Boyt.
“We feared that for a long time but it's really getting emergent now with the deterioration at the top," Boyt told 12News.
Once the glass and light were removed the structure began to deteriorate he said.
"If the top were to fall catastrophically, it could fall on this house,” Boyt said referring to one of two structures near the base of the lighthouse.
The Boyt family made plans to repair the lighthouse after it was added to the Galveston Historical Foundation’s “Heritage at Risk List.”
The lighthouse is the first building located on the Bolivar Peninsula to be added to the Galveston County list, which is meant to bring awareness to at-risk historic structures in the county.
The structure, added to the list this year and classified as “critical,” is described on the list as “currently in a severe state of deterioration and in need of considerable restoration.”
In the past the family payed for repairs but a recent inspection shoed the total repairs would cost $2.5 million.
“This is an important piece of history and we don't want to see it go away. if we do nothing then it's inevitable that it's not going to be here forever,” Boyt told 12News.
The Boyt family has created the non-profit Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation in an effort drum up support for the iconic structure and give fans a way to donate to help save it.
Boyt and his family hope that one day after it is deemed safe, they can open the lighthouse up to guests.
“One of our goals is that if we can make it safe, we're gonna open it up periodically for tourists on the weekends,” Boyt said.
"It's totally a museum. Like living history,” he added.