The Willem III Tower restoration , a historic landmark located in Oranjestad alongside Fort Zoutman, is currently a focal point for restoration discussions on the island. Originally built to guide and inform the local population, the structure has stood as a significant part of Aruba’s architectural heritage for over a century.
Commissioned by Gezaghebber Jan Helenus Ferguson during his administration (1866–1871), the tower was inaugurated on February 19, 1868, in honor of King Willem III’s birthday. As detailed by local historian Vivienno Frank Sr., the tower initially operated as a lighthouse with a kerosene light and featured a clock that chimed hourly. The structure underwent various modifications over the decades, including the addition of five floors and clock faces in the 1950s, before its function as a lighthouse was retired in the 1960s.
The broader Fort Zoutman complex, constructed in 1789 and named after Dutch naval hero Johan Arnold Zoutman, was officially designated as a protected monument on March 19, 1911, following consultations with the Monumentenbureau and Monumentenraad. Beyond its architectural value, the tower served a vital technical purpose in 1909; Lt. Lodewijk Lens used it as a primary geodetic point alongside the Sero Colorado lighthouse to create the first precise maps of Aruba. These efforts established the base coordinates used to define the island’s geography.
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