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      • Baker Island Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Browns Head Lighthouse, Vinalhaven, Maine
      • Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse, Swans Island, Maine
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      • Cape Elizabeth Light, Maine
      • Cape Neddick (the Nubble) Light, Maine
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      • Eagle Island Light, Maine
      • Egg Rock Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Franklin Island Light, Maine
      • Goat Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Goose Rocks Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Hendricks Head Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Indian Island Light, Maine
      • Kennebec River Range Lights, Maine
      • Libby Island Lighthouse, Maine
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      • Lubec Channel Lighthouse, Maine
      • Marshall Point Lighthouse, Maine
      • Matinicus Rock Light, Maine
      • Monhegan Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Moose Peak Lighthouse, Maine
      • Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse, Maine
      • Narraguagus Island Light, Maine
      • Nash Island Light, Maine
      • Owls Head Lighthouse, Maine
      • Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Maine
      • Perkins Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Petit Manan Lighthouse, Maine
      • Pond Island Light, Maine
      • Popham Beach Life Saving Station
      • Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, Maine
      • Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine
      • Prospect Harbor Lighthouse, Maine
      • Pumpkin Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Ram Island Ledge Light, Maine
      • Ram Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Robinson Point Lighthouse on Isle Au Haut, Maine
      • Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, Maine
      • Rockland Harbor Southwest Light, Maine
      • Saddleback Ledge Light, Maine
      • Seguin Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Southern Island Light, Maine
      • Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, Maine
      • Squirrel Point Lighthouse, Maine
      • Two Bush Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Maine
      • Whaleback Light, Maine
      • Whitehead Island Lighthouse, Maine
      • Winter Harbor Lighthouse, Maine
      • Wood Island Lighthouse, Maine
    • California Lighthouses
      • Alcatraz Light, California
      • Battery Point Lighthouse, California
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      • Old Point Loma Light, California
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      • Point Bonita Light, California
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      • Point Montara Lighthouse, California
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      • Santa Cruz Light, California
      • Table Bluff Lighthouse, California
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    • Connecticut Lighthouses
      • Avery Point Lighthouse
      • Faulkners Island Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Fayerweather Island Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Five Mile Point Light, Connecticut
      • Great Captain Island Lighthouse
      • Latimer Reef Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Lynde Point Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Morgan Point Lighthouse, Connectitcut
      • Mystic Seaport Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • New London Harbor Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • New London Ledge Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Penfield Reef Lighthouse
      • Race Rock Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Sheffield Island Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stamford Harbor Lighthouse
      • Stonington Harbor Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stratford Point Lighthouse, Connecticut
      • Stratford Shoal Lighthouse
      • Tongue Point Lighthouse
    • Delaware Lighthouses
      • Harbor of Refuge Light, Delaware
      • Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse, Delaware
      • Fenwick Island Lighthouse
      • Liston Rear Range Light
      • Overfalls Lightship, Delaware
      • Mispillion Lighthouse, Delaware
      • Reedy Island Rear Range Light
      • Marcus Hook Rear Range Light
    • Florida Lighthouses
      • Amelia Island Lighthouse, Florida
      • American Shoal Lighthouse, Florida
      • Cape Canaveral Light, Florida
      • Cape Florida Lighthouse, Florida
      • Crooked River Lighthouse
      • Faro Blanco Light, Florida
      • Garden Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Gasparilla Island Lights, Florida
      • Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, Florida
      • Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
      • Key West Lighthouse, Florida
      • Loggerhead Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Pensacola Lighthouse
      • Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sand Key Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sanibel Island Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. John's River Lighthouse, Florida
      • St. Marks Lighthouse, Florida
      • Sombrero Key Lighthouse
    • Georgia Lighthouses
      • St. Simons Island Lighthouse, Georgia
      • Tybee Island Lighthouse, Georgia
    • Hawai'i Lighthouses
      • Diamond Head Lighthouse, O'ahu, Hawai'i
      • Kilauea Point Lighthouse, Kaua'i, Hawai'i
      • Lahaina Harbor Lighthouse, Mau'i, Hawai'i
      • Makapu'u Light, Oahu, Hawai'i
      • Moloka'i Lighthouse, Moloka'i, Hawai'i
    • Illinois Lighthouses
      • Grosse Point Light, Illinois
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    • Louisiana Lighthouses
      • New Canal Lighthouse, Louisiana
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      • Baltimore Light, Maryland
      • Chesapeake Lightship, Maryland
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      • Cove Point Light, Maryland
      • Choptank River Lighthouse
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      • Fishing Battery Light, Maryland
      • Hooper Strait Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Piney Point Light, Maryland
      • Point Lookout Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Sandy Point Light, Maryland
      • Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland
      • Turkey Point Lighthouse, Maryland
    • Massachusetts Lighthouses
      • Annisquam Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Baker's Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Bass River Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Bird Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket
      • Butler Flats Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Boston Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Cape Poge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Chatham Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Clark's Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Deer Island Light, Massachusetts
      • Derby Wharf Light, Massachusetts
      • Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Duxbury Pier Light, Massachusetts
      • East Chop Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Eastern Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Gay Head Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Graves Light, Massachusetts
      • Great Point Lighthouse, Nantucket, Massachusetts
      • Highland Lighthouse, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
      • Hospital Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Lewis Bay Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Marblehead Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Mayo's Beach Lighthouse
      • Minots Ledge Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Monomoy Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Nantucket Lightship, Massachusetts
      • Nauset Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Ned's Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Newburyport Harbor Range Lights, Massachusetts
      • Nobska Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Palmer Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Plum Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Plymouth Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Race Point Lighthouse, Cape Cod Massachusetts
      • Sandy Neck Lighthouse
      • Sankaty Head Lighthouse
      • Scituate Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Stage Harbor Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Ten Pound Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Thacher Island Twin Lights, Massachusetts
      • Three Sisters of Nauset Lighthouses, Massachusetts
      • West Chop Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Wings Neck Lighthouse, Massachusetts
      • Winter Island Lighthouse
      • Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket MA
    • New Hampshire Lighthouses
      • Isles of Shoals Light, New Hampshire
      • Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Hampshire
    • New Jersey Lighthouses
      • Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Brandywine Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Chapel Hill Rear Range Light, New Jersey
      • Conover Beacon Front Range Light, New Jersey
      • East Point Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Finns Point Lighthouse
      • Fourteen Foot Bank Light, New Jersey
      • Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, North Wildwood, New Jersey
      • Miah Maull Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Sandy Hook Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Sea Girt Lighthouse, New Jersey
      • Ship John Shoal Light, New Jersey
      • Twin Lights of Navesink, New Jersey
      • Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse, New Jersey
    • New York Lighthouses
      • Ambrose Lightship, New York
      • Big Sodus Light, New York
      • Blackswell Island Light, New York
      • Buffalo Main Lighthouse, New York
      • Cape Vincent Breakwater Lighthouse, New York
      • Clayton Memorial Lighthouse, New Yrok
      • Coney Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Crossover Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Dunkirk Light, New York
      • Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, New York
      • Execution Rocks Lighthouse, New York
      • Fire Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Horton Point Light, New York
      • Montauk Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Ogdensburg Harbor Lighthouse, New York
      • Old Field Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Rock Island Lighthouse, New York
      • Rondout Creek Lighthouse, New York
      • Saugerties Lighthouse, New York
      • Selkirk Lighthouse, New York
      • Sister Islands Lighthouse, New York
      • Staten Island Light, New York
      • Stepping Stones Lighthouse
      • Stony Point Lighthouse, New York
      • Sunken Rock Lighthouse, New York
      • Tarrytown Lighthouse, New York
      • Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, New York
    • North Carolina Lighthouses
      • Bodie Island Light, North Carolina
      • Ocracoke Light, North Carolina
      • Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina
    • Ohio Lighthouses
      • Fairport Harbor Light, Ohio
      • Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light, Ohio
      • Marblehead Light, Ohio
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      • Cape Meares Light, Oregon
      • Cleft of the Rock Light, Oregon
      • Coquille River Lighthouse, Oregon
      • Heceta Head Light, Oregon
      • Umpqua River Light, Oregon
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      • Presque Isle Lighthouse, Pennsylvania
      • Presque Isle North Pierhead Light, Pennsylvania
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      • Beavertail Lighthouse, Rhode Island
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      • Admiralty Head Lighthouse, Washington
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      • Gannet Rock Lighthouse, Grand Manan, New Brunswick
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      • Cape Forchu Light, Nova Scotia
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    • Lighthouse Trips
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      • 2011-09-10 Boothbay Lighthouse Cruise with NELL
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Point Bonita Light, California

Located at the northern entrance to the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay, Point Bonita is one of the most spectacular lighthouse sites in the country. Although it is only 7 miles from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco it seems to be a world away and isolated. Originally the Light House Board planned to build a lighthouse at the southern entrance at Point Lobos, but local maritime interests petitioned for the light to be built upon Point Bonita. They contended that the light could be approached easier from the north since the water was deeper and it would be safer in rough conditions.
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By the 1870’s the Light House Board realized that the fog obscured the light and it needed to be moved to a lower elevation. It was decided to build a tower at the tip of Point Bonita where there were steep cliffs and crumbling rock. A path was cut along the cliffs and a 118 foot tunnel was carved by hand through solid rock to reach the point.
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By the 1870’s the Light House Board realized that the fog obscured the light and it needed to be moved to a lower elevation. It was decided to build a tower at the tip of Point Bonita where there were steep cliffs and crumbling rock. A path was cut along the cliffs and a 118 foot tunnel was carved by hand through solid rock to reach the point.

PointBonitaLight010

  • In March 1853 Congress appropriated $25,000 to build a lighthouse on Point Bonita.  $7,000 of these monies were used to purchase a 2nd Order Fresnel lens from Paris.  A point 260 feet above sea level was chosen for the light, but this lofty elevation would cause trouble later as it was often shrouded in a high elevation fog.
  • In 1854 a contractor was hired to build the tower, however when he saw how difficult landing supplies would be he backed out of the agreement.  A second firm was hired and they built a 56 foot conical brick tower and a one and a half story Keepers house.
  • Bad weather delayed the delivery of the 2nd Order lens for a month but it arrived in March of 1855.  On May 2, 1855 the lens was lit by Keeper Edward Colson and the towers signal shone over the Golden Gate for the first time.
  • Since the tower was often obscured by fog in August 1855 a retired Army sergeant, Edward Maloney, was hired to fire a cannon as a fog signal at half hour intervals during foggy weather.  This was the first fog signal on the west coast.
  • *Gargoyle drainspouts on the lantern room are a nice touch*<br />
The tremendous amount of fog kept Sgt. Maloney up for days at a time with no relief.  Eventually due to the problems with manning the cannon and the high cost of gunpowder, the cannon was replaced after a year with a 1,500 pound fog bell struck by clockwork machinery.
  • Due to the low pay and the isolation of the station it was difficult to maintain a Keeper at the Point Bonita Light Station. During a nine month period from 1855 to 1856 the light station had seven different keepers.
  • By the 1870’s the Light House Board realized that the fog obscured the light and it needed to be moved to a lower elevation. It was decided to build a tower at the tip of Point Bonita where there were steep cliffs and crumbling rock. A path was cut along the cliffs and a 118 foot tunnel was carved by hand through solid rock to reach the point.
  • A new 33 foot tower 124 feet above sea level was completed and went into operation on February 2, 1877.  The lantern and lens from the old 1855 lighthouse were removed and placed on the new tower.  The old tower was capped and left to serve as a daymark until it was demolished at the request of the Army in 1907.
  • In 1903 a new steam fog signal building was erected in front of the lighthouse.  Pipes were run from the fog signal building through the lighthouse and connected to a smokestack behind the light so the smoke from the fog signal boilers would not obscure the light.
  • The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 did not damage the tower but it destroyed the 1856 Keepers dwelling.  Luckily the family of Keeper Hermann Engel escaped before the house crumbled.  The Keeper was on duty at the light when the earthquake struck.  The family was forced to live in a one room Army office on the Point until new housing was constructed two years later.
  • In 1940 a storm washed out a section of the narrow trail to the tower and a breeches buoy was used temporarily to reach the lighthouse.  A wooden bridge was built which was replaced in 1954 with a suspension bridge modeled after the Golden Gate Bridge.  The bridge was closed in 2010 for repairs and is scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2012.
  • *An old postcard view of the Point Bonita Light Station*<br />
Eventually by the late 1970’s the Point Bonita Light Station became the last manned lighthouse in California.  In April 1981 the light was automated and the last keeper was removed.  Due to its popularity with the public the station was transferred to the National Park Service and opened for visitation as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  You can visit  <a href="http://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm">http://www.nps.gov/goga/pobo.htm</a> for more details.
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