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Lime Point Lighthouse is a
The brick structure for the Lime Point Lighthouse was built in 1883 as a fog-bell signaling station. It was eventually fitted with coal powered steam whistles. During operation, the facility included the fog signal building, a coal shed, water tank and a two-story keeper's quarters. The keeper's building was later upgraded to include a third floor.
In 1900, a lens lantern was hung on the south-east corner of the fog signal building, at a height of above the water. In 1902, the coal-powered steam horn was modified to use crude oil to reduce operating costs and smoke pollution.
On June 3, 1960, the cargo ship ''India Bear'' rammed the lighthouse station in heavy fog. The ship's captain only realized at the last minute that the ''India Bear'' was about 180 meters off course. Despite an immediate reverse maneuver initiated, the bow of the ship ran aground on the ledge. The Lime Point Light Station sustained $7,500 in damage (most notably the facility's toilet was completely destroyed) in the accident, while damage to the freighter was $60,000.Shanks / Shanks, ''Guardians of the Golden Gate'', S. 158. A subsequent investigation into the incident identified high winds, which rendered the foghorn signal ineffective, and currents in the strait as causes of the accident.
Lime Point Lighthouse continued to operate after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge since it remained an effective position for a light and fog horn, even though Fort Point Light, at the South end of the bridge was decommissioned. Lime Point was automated by the
File:Lime Point Light Station beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.jpg, Side view of Lime Point Light
File:Lime Point Light.jpg, Lime Point Light with Golden Gate Bridge in the background
File:Freighter India Bear after her 1960 ramming of Lime Point Light Station.gif, alt=, The freighter ''India Bear'' after ramming Lime Point Light in June 1960
Lime Point Lighthouse Page at www.us-lighthouses.com
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Lighthouses completed in 1883 Lighthouses in the San Francisco Bay Area Transportation buildings and structures in Marin County, California {{MarinCountyCA-struct-stub
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
in California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, on the northern side of the narrowest part of Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by ...
strait. The lighthouse sits at the base of a steep cliff, very near the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California, United States. The structure links San Francisco—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peni ...
. It is built on a long rock spur at Lime Point.
History
The brick structure for the Lime Point Lighthouse was built in 1883 as a fog-bell signaling station. It was eventually fitted with coal powered steam whistles. During operation, the facility included the fog signal building, a coal shed, water tank and a two-story keeper's quarters. The keeper's building was later upgraded to include a third floor.
In 1900, a lens lantern was hung on the south-east corner of the fog signal building, at a height of above the water. In 1902, the coal-powered steam horn was modified to use crude oil to reduce operating costs and smoke pollution.
On June 3, 1960, the cargo ship ''India Bear'' rammed the lighthouse station in heavy fog. The ship's captain only realized at the last minute that the ''India Bear'' was about 180 meters off course. Despite an immediate reverse maneuver initiated, the bow of the ship ran aground on the ledge. The Lime Point Light Station sustained $7,500 in damage (most notably the facility's toilet was completely destroyed) in the accident, while damage to the freighter was $60,000.Shanks / Shanks, ''Guardians of the Golden Gate'', S. 158. A subsequent investigation into the incident identified high winds, which rendered the foghorn signal ineffective, and currents in the strait as causes of the accident.
Lime Point Lighthouse continued to operate after the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge since it remained an effective position for a light and fog horn, even though Fort Point Light, at the South end of the bridge was decommissioned. Lime Point was automated by the United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
in 1961, and the three-story dwelling and other buildings were torn down, leaving only the fog signal building, which remains.
Gallery
See also
*List of lighthouses in the United States
This is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights. Michigan has the most lights of any state with over 150 past and present ...
References
External links
Lime Point Lighthouse Page at www.us-lighthouses.com
*
Lighthouses completed in 1883 Lighthouses in the San Francisco Bay Area Transportation buildings and structures in Marin County, California {{MarinCountyCA-struct-stub