Point Cabrillo Light facts for kids
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| Point Cabrillo Lighthouse | |
 Point Cabrillo Light
Location in California
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| Location | Caspar California United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°20′54.97″N 123°49′34.02″W / 39.3486028°N 123.8261167°W |
| Year first constructed | 1909 |
| Automated | 1973 |
| Foundation | concrete base |
| Construction | wooden tower |
| Tower shape | octagonal tower with balcony and lantern on fog signal building |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, black lantern |
| Height | 47 feet (14 m) |
| Focal height | 81 feet (25 m) |
| Original lens | Third-order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | Third-order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 22 nautical miles (41 km; 25 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 10s. |
| Admiralty number | G4362 |
| ARLHS number | USA-619 |
| USCG number | 6-0450 |
The Point Cabrillo Light is a famous lighthouse in northern California, USA. It stands proudly between Point Arena and Cape Mendocino, near the town of Caspar. Since 1909, this lighthouse has helped ships find their way safely. Today, it is part of the California state park system, known as Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park.
It's important not to confuse this lighthouse with others in San Diego. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the New Point Loma Lighthouse are both in San Diego. They are located within the Cabrillo National Monument and are sometimes called the Cabrillo lighthouse.
Contents
About Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse is located about 1.5 miles north of Mendocino. It includes the lighthouse building and several smaller buildings around it. Most of these buildings are still standing today. Sadly, the original barn was lost in 1986 during a fire department exercise. The remaining lighthouse station is known as one of the most complete light stations in the United States.
How the Light Works
At the top of the lighthouse, there is a special Fresnel lens. This lens has four panels with 90 lead glass prisms. It weighs a huge 6,800 pounds! An English company called Chance Brothers built this lens. It was shipped all the way to Point Cabrillo by sailing around Cape Horn.
The light itself is only 32 feet above the ground. However, because the lighthouse is built on tall cliffs, its light shines 81 feet above sea level. When it was first built, a kerosene lamp lit the lens. A clockwork mechanism made it turn. In 1935, these were replaced by an electric light and motor. The light now uses a single 1,000-watt electric bulb. Depending on the weather, the powerful Fresnel lens can create a focused beam. This beam can be seen far out at sea. The beam rotates once every 40 seconds, making a flash of light every 10 seconds.
History of Point Cabrillo
Point Cabrillo is a sandstone headland where the lighthouse stands. It was named in 1870 by the United States Geological Survey. The name honors the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho. He explored the California coast for Spain. However, his voyage did not reach as far north as this point. Because Spain controlled early California, the Spanish version of his name is used today.
Early Shipwrecks and Timber
In 1850, a ship called the Frolic wrecked on a reef north of Point Cabrillo. Agents investigating the wreck discovered the huge coast redwood forests in the Mendocino area. This discovery started the timber trade. The timber trade became very important to the local economy for many years.
Building the Lighthouse
In 1873, Point Cabrillo was looked at as a possible place for a lighthouse. But no lighthouse was built then. By 1904, after several more shipwrecks, the U.S. Lighthouse Service suggested building a lighthouse there. A bill to pay for its construction passed in June 1906. The government bought 30 acres of land from a rancher named David Gordon for $3,195.
The Lindgren Company began building the lighthouse in 1908. It started working in 1909. Wilhelm Baumgartner was its first light keeper. He worked there until 1923. In 1935, a loud fog signal was added.
Changes Over Time
The United States Coast Guard took over the Lighthouse Service in 1939. In 1960, a big storm caused waves to crash over the lighthouse. The building was damaged and filled with mud, but the important lens was safe. Later, during the Cold War, the station was used for training exercises. It pretended to be a Soviet radar base.
The Coast Guard kept people working at the station until 1973. Then, the main lens was covered. A modern, rotating light was put on a metal stand on the roof.
Restoration and Public Access
In 1988, the California Coastal Conservancy started buying the land around the light station. In 1991, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the California State Park System could not take over the land then. This was because of state budget problems. Instead, a non-profit group called the North Coast Interpretive Association managed the station for nine years.
Starting in 1996, this group began a big project. They restored the station to how it looked in the 1930s, after it became electric. This included getting the main lens working again. In 1999, the original Fresnel lens was put back. It was updated to meet modern safety rules. The restored lighthouse opened to the public in August 2001. It even appeared in the 2001 movie The Majestic.
In 2002, California State Parks bought the light station for four million dollars. The North Coast Interpretive Association then became the Point Cabrillo Light Keeper Association. This group still runs the station for the state park system. The U.S. Coast Guard recognizes the light as an official Aid to Navigation. The USCG Auxiliary helps keep it working.
The station won the Governor's Historic Preservation Award in 2007. It also won the Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation that same year.
Coastal Trail
In 2011, a hiking trail was created. It is part of the California Coastal Trail. This trail connects the light station to Caspar Headlands State Beach, about one mile north. It passes by Frolic Cove along the way.
Images for kids
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Point Cabrillo Light in May 1972, likely taken from Lighthouse Road within Point Carbrillo Light Station State Historic Park
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