AUSTIN, Texas – Since first noticing one of Austin’s historic moon towers while he was waiting at a stoplight, filmmaker Jeff Kerr has been on a mission to help others learn about these strange devices.
- Moonlight towers first lit in Austin in 1895
- 17 towers still remain
When Kerr first saw one of the towers, he thought was just a tall, funky-looking utility pole. Then he saw the historical marker situated to the pole.
“I thought, ‘Why would there be a historic marker on a pole like that?’” Kerr said. “So I got out and read it and that’s how I learned about these things.”
The city’s moonlight towers are 1800s era street lights that used to be more commonly used by cities across the country.
Kerr linked up with fellow filmmaker and high school friend Ray Spivey to learn more about the history of the towers. The two went through years of news articles, uncovering stories about each of Austin’s 31 towers.
Historic marker installed on one of the moonlight towers. (Jordan Hicks/Spectrum News)
Austin’s moonlight towers were lit in 1895. They made history as the first form of street lighting for the city, providing people the opportunity to go outside at night.
Lights like Austin’s moonlight towers were common across the country at the time. The unique design of Austin’s towers helped avoid rust, making them easier to maintain than the hollow tube design of other cities.
As other forms of street lights became popular, moonlight towers across the country began to come down. Here in Austin, 17 moonlight towers remain.
The filmmakers consolidated over a centuries worth of history on those towers into the documentary, “The Last of the Moonlight Towers,” in 2016. They said it’s their way to spread the word about something unique to Austin to help preserve the city’s culture.
“To convince people that it’s worth the time and money and effort to preserve things, you have to convince them of their significance,” Kerr said. “This is really a big deal, this is something nobody else has and it’s something we should hold onto.”
The filmmakers have made their documentary available for viewing on their website through the month of February, MoonTowerMovie.com.