California - Point Arena Lighthouse

The Point Arena Lighthouse was built in 1870 and is located at Point Arena, California.  The original lighthouse was built of masonry and held a First Order Fresnel Lens.  It collapsed during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.  The replacement tower was completed in 1908 and is made of reinforced concrete. This was the first time this "new material" was used for a lighthouse.  The supporting buttresses at the base of the tower have helped the lighthouse survive earthquake tremors for almost a century.
As part of the reconstruction, the height of the tower was increased from 100 to 115 feet.  Also, instead of rebuilding the original keeper's dwelling that housed the keeper and his three assistants plus their families, lighthouse officials agreed to provide separate housing for each of the keepers.
Several military actions during World War II were witnessed from this lighthouse.  One example was when the U.S. Navy defeated three Japanese destroyers on 12 August 1945, two days before the end of the war.
In 1977 the U.S. Coast Guard automated the lighthouse.  The Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers Association leased the property from the Coast Guard and then opened it year-round to the public.  At the time of my visit in 1999, the keepers association maintained a museum and provided teacher's/instructor's for tours.  The Association also rented the keeper's dwellings to overnight visitors.