>> Click to enlarge << Cardona Island Light as it appeared in 1948. The ...

The Cardona Island Lighthouse at the entrance to Ponce Harbor, Puerto Rico, may soon be no more.

>> Click to enlarge << The Cardona Island Lighthouse as it appeared in ... Photo by: Norma Castaldi

Heavily damaged by an earthquake in 2020, there is crack running down and around the 1889 tower, making it totally unsafe. “The lighthouse is structurally damaged and represents a danger to public safety,” said Capt. Gregory H. Magee, Commander of Coast Guard Sector San Juan.

>> Click to enlarge << Here you can see the crack in the walls, photo ...

The Coast Guard will be sealing and locking all entry points to ensure that no unauthorized people can gain access to the light station. Fencing with warning signs will be installed 50 feet away from the structure, which has seen its share of vandalism and deterioration over the years.

The tower is now in such bad shape that it could collapse at any moment.

This story appeared in the May/Jun 2021 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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