Located on a unique, rugged point North
of San Francisco, CA is the Point Bonita Lighthouse.
The original tower and keeper's dwelling, built in
1855, was perched on a ledge approximately 300 feet above the ocean. Its light
could be seen from up to 20 miles out to sea, unless heavy fog obscured the
beam, and it often did. Almost daily the keepers had to sound the fog
signal by firing a cannon mounted outside the tower. Later a 1,500 pound
bell replaced the cannon, but the fog and low clouds around the tower remained
a problem.
A new light station, pictured, was built at a lower
elevation, approximately 100 feet above the ocean. This station included a
33 foot tower, building that housed two steam driven fog signals, storage
buildings, and keepers dwelling, The lens from the original lighthouse was
moved to the new tower, and in
February 1877 the new Point Bonita Lighthouse lamp was lit.
The new tower survived the April 1906 earthquake that devastated
nearby San Francisco, but the keeper's dwelling collapsed after the family
escaped.
In the early 1980's, the U.S. Coast Guard automated the
light and they continue to maintain it. However, the National Park Service
maintains the grounds, and to my knowledge, the lighthouse is open to the
public three days a week when weather permits.
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