Battery Point Light, California - # - Lighthouse Guy Photo's & Gifts

Lighthouse Guy Photo's & Gifts

The Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, California is one of the oldest lights on the west coast. Located 15 miles south of the Oregon border the harbor served as a starting point for the gold fields during the 1850’s and later as a port for the timber industry. The lighthouse has changed little over the last 150 years and is an excellent example of early west coast lighthouse construction.

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When Crescent City incorporated in 1854 it petitioned for a lighthouse to mark its harbor. In May 1855 Congress appropriated $15,000 for the construction of a station. The site selected for the lighthouse was a small islet at the harbor entrance. Luckily the islet was accessible on foot at low tide twice a day which made the transport of construction materials easier.

A 50 foot tower surrounded by a 1½ story Cape Cod style dwelling was completed in December 1856. A member of the construction crew named Van Court lit and maintained the tower from December 10 until the official first keeper, Theophilis Magruder, took control of the station on Christmas Day.

The lantern was fitted with a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. The lens showed a fixed white light varied by a white flash every 90 seconds. The light shone 77 feet above sea level and was visible for 14 miles. Magruder served as Keeper until he received a letter from the Light House Board in 1859 informing him of a 40% cut in pay.

By the 1870’s the condition of the lighthouse was described as ‘dilapidated’ after being subjected to the harsh conditions for years. In 1879 nature almost destroyed the light when a wave sheared off the chimney and water filled the kitchen and knocked over the stove. A fire began to burn when another wave crashed over the house and put out the fire. There was talk of discontinuing the station when the construction of the St. George Reef Light began in the 1880’s but the Crescent City Light was deemed necessary to navigate the harbor.

The lighthouse was automated in 1953 and a 375mm lens replaced the Fresnel lens. The station was leased to the Del Norte Historical Society to be maintained as a museum with live-in curators. In 1964 a tidal wave generated by an earthquake struck Crescent City destroying a large portion of the town but sparing the lighthouse. The tidal wave killed eleven town residents. The light was moved to the end of a nearby breakwater in 1965.

The light was returned to the lighthouse lantern in December 1982 through the efforts of the Del Norte Historical Society as a private aid to navigation (PATON). The station serves a home to live-in curators who conducts tours of the island and the light during low tide April through September.

When Crescent City incorporated in 1854 it petitioned for a lighthouse to mark its harbor. In May 1855 Congress appropriated $15,000 for the construction of a station. The site selected for the lighthouse was a small islet at the harbor entrance. Luckily the islet was accessible on foot at low tide twice a day which made the transport of construction materials easier.