- **** Point
Arena (2)
- 1908 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 155 ft (47 m); white flash every
15 s. 115 ft (35 m) cylindrical reinforced white concrete tower rising from
a 1-story round workroom. Lantern painted black. The original 1st order Fresnel
lens (transferred from the 1870 tower) is on display in the wood fog
signal building (1896), which houses a museum. The active light is mounted
on the gallery outside the lantern. Four modern keeper's dwellings (1960)
are available as vacation
lodging. A 2019 photo is at right, David Dasinger has a good photo,
Anderson has great photos and the history of the station, Trabas has Boucher's photo, Marinas.com has aerial
photos, and Google has a street view and a good satellite
view. This lighthouse was the first reinforced concrete lighthouse
built in the U.S. The Coast Guard has a historic photo of the original lighthouse, a copy of the Pigeon Point
Light (see above). It was demolished after being heavily damaged by the San Francisco
earthquake of 1906. In September 2004 mercury was removed
from the lantern room, clearing the way for restoration of the lens and
tower. The California Cultural and Historical Endowment granted $1.2
million to restore the station and the preservation group raised another
$300,000. In 2008-10 these funds supported a complete restoration
of all the buildings, including disassembly, restoration, and display
of the Fresnel lens. Located on a sharp, spectacular promontory at the
end of Lighthouse Road, off CA 1 about 2 miles (3 km) north of the town
of Point Arena. Site open, museum open daily except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, tower open to guided tours.
Owner/site manager: Point
Arena Lighthouse Keepers, Inc.
. ARLHS USA-611; Admiralty G4358; USCG
6-0420.
- **** Point
Cabrillo
- 1909. Active; focal plane 84 ft (25.5 m); white flash every 10
s. 47 ft (14.5 m) octagonal cylindrical wood tower on a 1-story
wood fog signal building. The original 3rd order Fresnel lens was
restored to use in 1999. Original 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house.
This is a complete light station, including two assistant keeper's
houses (1908), oil house (1912), and other buildings. A 2023 photo is at right, Anderson has an excellent page for the lighthouse, Trabas has Boucher's closeup photo, Dave Dunne has another fine photo,
the Coast Guard has a 1955 historic
photo, Marinas.com has aerial
photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, Jonathan Fleming has a street view, and Google has a satellite
view. The North
Coast Interpretive Association began an extensive restoration of
the light station in 1996. Restoration, completed by the end
of 2001, included the lighthouse, oil house, and the blacksmith and carpentry shop, which currently houses a marine science exhibit. In May 2001 the California Coastal Conservancy sold
the lighthouse and 300 surrounding acres to California State
Parks for $4 million. These funds were transferred to the Point
Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association (PCLK) to support continued restoration
and operation of the light station. In 2004-05 an assistant
keeper's house was restored and became a museum. The principal keeper's house was
opened for overnight stays in 2006. A second assistant keeper's house was restored in 2009. There was great alarm in May 2011 when California State Parks announced that the light station would be closed in 2012 as a cost-cutting measure. PCLK negotiated an agreement with the state that keeps the station open under the association's management. In 2014 the Coast Guard proposed to deactivate the light and remove the lens but after discussions it dropped these plans. Located on a spectacular headland nearly
surrounded by the ocean, at the end of Lighthouse Road, off
CA 1 about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Caspar and 4 mi (6.5 km) north of Mendocino. For most visitors there
is a 1/2 mile (800 m) walk from the parking area, but handicapped
visitors can drive to the lighthouse. Site open sunrise to sunset; lighthouse, keepers home and marine science exhibit open daily from 11am to 4pm.
Owner: California State Parks (Point Cabrillo Light Station
State Historic Park). Site manager: Point
Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association
.
ARLHS USA-619; Admiralty G4362; USCG
6-0450.
- * [Noyo River]
- Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); green light occulting once every 4 s. Fog Horn (blast every 30 s). 5 m (16 ft) post. Trabas has Boucher's photo, Anthony Wells has a street view and Google has a satellite view. Located on a short breakwater on the north side of the entrance to the Noyo River on the south side of Fort Bragg. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G4364; USCG 6-8100 (light) and 8101 (fog signal).
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Point Arena Light, Point Arena, March 2019
Instagram photo by Point Arena Lighthouse
Point Cabrillo Light, Mendocino, November 2023
Instagram photo by Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
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