Best and Brightest Historical Landmarks

Moonlight Towers

Splendiferous name. In 1895, 31 originals were installed as lights illuminating our once-bucolic village, and today 17 remain in various locations. You may have overlooked them in Ausprawl, but they are tall - 165 feet tall - and impressive. Imagine back then ... each tower illuminated a circle of 3,000 feet using six carbon arc lamps so bright that a farmer could read an almanac on the darkest night. Though only 17 of the original 31 remain, that's still more than in any other American city, all of whom abandoned the inefficient mercury vapor lamps years ago. A victory of beauty over finance, long may they burn.

Moonlight Tower
www.austinmoonlight.com