Punta Gorda Lighthouse is a

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 the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, south of

Cape Mendocino Cape Mendocino ( Spanish: ''Cabo Mendocino'', meaning "Cape of Mendoza"), which is located approximately north of San Francisco, is located on the Lost Coast entirely within Humboldt County, California, United States. At 124° 24' 34" W longit ...

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 ...

, within Humboldt County. Access is via a short hike from the end of a 4WD road. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

History

Punta Gorda Lighthouse was built in 1911 and was first lit in 1912. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was decided that given the remoteness of the station it was too costly to maintain. A lighted buoy was placed offshore, the fourth order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The simpler Dioptrics, d ...

was removed, and the station was boarded up and deactivated in 1951. The keeper's house and all other station buildings were eventually demolished except the reinforced concrete light station building and the metal framework for the lantern room atop it and the reinforced concrete oil house were left standing. Historical Information from USCG web site: Punta Gorda originally consisted of upon which were situated three dwellings, a small two-story concrete lighthouse, concrete oil house, a wooden fog signal building, blacksmith/carpenter-shop, three storage sheds, and a barn. In 1951 all aids-to-navigation were discontinued, the buildings boarded up and personnel transferred. The property was transferred to the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

. In the late 1960s "hippies" moved into the quarters and improved them. Local authorities evicted these people and the Bureau of Land Management burned all the buildings except the Lighthouse and oil house. Punta Gorda was and is a very difficult station to reach. Most of the years it was in operation access was via horse, and during good weather horse-drawn wagon. After 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 ...

assumed command a rough road was constructed (that usually washed out) and a jeep was used for transportation. One Coast Guard career horse, named Old Bill, served the Punta Gorda Light Station as a saddle horse, pack horse, and buggy horse for thirty years until the station closed in 1951. The lighthouse was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1976. The Fresnel lens and the flag staff pole were removed many years ago to the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum located near

Eureka, California Eureka ( ; Wiyot: ; Hupa: ; ) is a city and the county seat of Humboldt County, located on the North Coast of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Bay, north of San Francisco and south of the Oreg ...

.Bureau of Land Management-Punta Gorda Lighthouse webpage.
accessed Feb.18, 2009 The Punta Gorda Light was known as the "Alcatraz of Lighthouses" because of its remote location and difficult access.

Keepers

;Head * Frederick A. Harrington (1911 – at least 1918) * James Dunn (at least 1919 – at least 1921) * Herbert H. Luff (at least 1926 – 1928) * Charles W. Lindley (1928 – 1939) * Perry S. Hunter (1939 – 1940) * Harmon A. Day (1940 – at least 1942) * Samuel “Hank” – Mostovoy (at least 1949 – 1951)Punta Gorda, CA
Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 15 June 2016

References

External links

* Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in California Transportation buildings and structures in Humboldt County, California Lighthouses completed in 1911 1911 establishments in California National Register of Historic Places in Humboldt County, California {{US-lighthouse-stub

History

Keepers

See also

References

External links