Built in 1879 by the New York firm R. Deeley & Co., the Puerto Plata Lighthouse once served as a beacon for ships crossing the Atlantic.
With funding from American Express, WMF assisted the Puerto Plata Heritage Office in preserving the lighthouse. Metaldom, a local metal fabrication company, used plans from the 1870s to guide the restoration process. Although many of the original parts had deteriorated, collapsed or been removed from the structure, workers were able to reuse much of the remaining material, including the original Doric columns that supported the iron structure. Restoration of missing elements such as the spiral staircase and rebuilding an electrical signaling system were necessary. Additional architectural lighting was added to improve views of the monument.
Long-term plans call for incorporating the beacon into tours of the San Felipe Fortress Museum. Funds generated through tourism would ensure continued preservation of the monument. The structure stands out among other iron lighthouses for its monumental size: with a height of 24.38 meters and a base of 6.20 meters, the lighthouse rises 41.75 meters above sea level. It also differs from most lighthouses built in the area for its original, innovative use of kerosene for lighting. Until the 1960s, it guided ships through their navigation in the Atlantic.
It is the only structure of its kind in the Dominican Republic and one of the few cast iron lighthouses still standing in the Americas. The Puerto Plata Heritage Office has designated it as a symbol of the values of the city of Puerto Plata, illuminating the paths of progress.
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