SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The first official lighting of the Port Isabel Lighthouse in 117 years will take place on Dec. 9.

Funded and coordinated by The Texas Historical Commission, the reproduction of a 3rd Order Fresnel Lens will be fitted into the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse, said the city of Port Isabel.

The $200,000 lens will offer visitors a glimpse into the past of the lighthouse and the service it provided to the Gulf Coast.

“The Port Isabel Lighthouse is a major heritage attraction for visitors, offering a glimpse into the past of the community and its maritime history,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission. “Thanks to the support of the Texas Legislature and our statewide leaders, visitors will now see the lighthouse much as it would have appeared more than a century ago.”

While working at the lighthouse, Dan Spinella and the team at ArtWorks Florida have replicated a functional Fresnel lens, pedestal, and lamp, based on a 19th-century plan showing the design of the lens-specific to the site, said the city’s news release.

The lighting will take place from 6:30- 8 p.m. at 421 East Queen Isabella Blvd.