How many moonlight towers are there?

There are 17 moonlight towers still in use today in Austin, Texas, which is the only city in the world known to still have these distinctive lighting structures. The moonlight towers, which were erected in 1895, are 165 feet tall and have a 15-foot foundation, with each tower originally containing six carbon arc lamps that illuminated a 1,500-foot radius.

Introduction to Moonlight Towers

The moonlight towers were popular in the late 19th century in cities across the United States and Europe, with Austin purchasing 31 second-hand towers from Detroit in 1894.

FAQs about Moonlight Towers

General Questions

1. What is a moonlight tower?: A moonlight tower or moontower is a lighting structure designed to illuminate areas of a town or city at night.
2. Where are the moonlight towers located?: The moonlight towers are located in Austin, Texas, which is the only city in the world known to still have these distinctive lighting structures.
3. How tall are the moonlight towers?: The moonlight towers are 165 feet tall with foundations 15 feet wide.

History of Moonlight Towers

4. When were the moonlight towers made?: The moonlight towers were erected in 1895 as part of Austin’s first electrical public street lighting system.
5. How many moonlight towers were originally built?: 31 moonlight towers were originally built, but only 17 are still in use today.
6. What type of lighting did the original moonlight towers use?: The original moonlight towers used six carbon arc lamps to illuminate a 1,500-foot radius.

Technical Questions

7. How do moonlight towers work?: The moonlight towers use electricity to power carbon arc lamps, which produce an extremely bright light.
8. What is the purpose of a moonlight tower?: The purpose of a moonlight tower is to illuminate areas of a town or city at night, providing public street lighting.
9. How bright are the moonlight towers?: The moonlight towers are extremely bright, giving off several thousand candles worth of light, which is much brighter than the common street light of the time.

Pop Culture and Other Questions

10. Which movie features a moonlight tower?: The movie Dazed and Confused features a moonlight tower, although the one in the movie was a prop and not a real moonlight tower.
11. Is there a serial killer associated with the moonlight towers?: Yes, the Servant Girl Annihilator, also known as the Austin Axe Murderer, was an unidentified serial killer who preyed upon Austin, Texas, between 1884 and 1885.
12. What is the connection between the moonlight towers and the Eyeball Killer?: The Eyeball Killer, Charles Frederick Albright, was a serial killer from Texas who was convicted of killing one woman and suspected of killing two others in 1991, but there is no direct connection between him and the moonlight towers.
13. Are there any other moonlight towers being built?: There are no moonlight towers being built, but there is a proposed $5 billion man-made moon project in Dubai.
14. Can you visit the moonlight towers?: Yes, the moonlight towers are still standing in Austin, Texas, and can be visited, with a replica of a moonlight tower serving as the center post for the Zilker Park “Christmas Tree” of lights each year.
15. Are the moonlight towers still functional?: Yes, the 17 remaining moonlight towers are still functional and provide public street lighting in Austin, Texas.