St. George Reef Light
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The St. George Reef Light is a lighthouse located off the coast of northern California near Crescent City. Its beacon and fog signal warned ships of the treacherous rocks and reefs nearby. The light's location was selected because the area had a history of serious maritime accidents and its construction was a direct result of the wreck of the Brother Jonathan in 1865. However, this site, battered by stormy waters, presented challenges to the designer as well as hazardous conditions for construction workers and, later, for lightkeepers. Unlike the typical lighthouse design by federal architect Ammi B. Young, which consisted of a separate keeper's cottage and light tower, the living quarters and light tower at St. George Reef Light were housed in the same structure.
The light was first illuminated on October 20th, 1892. It stands 146 feet high, the tallest on the Pacific coast of the United States. The first survey of the rock was done in 1882, and construction began in 1883, but was erratic for several years due to lack of funds being allotted by Congress. Work was finally completed in 1891, but the lighthouse awaited arrival of its lens from France until the following year. At a cost of more than $704,000, St. George Reef was the most expensive lighthouse built to that time.
Duty at St. George Reef was among the most difficult of any station, due to its remote location, surrounded by often treacherous seas. Several people died during its construction and operation, dozens resigned or sought transfer, and a few even suffered mental breakdowns. It was finally replaced by a buoy and decommissioned in 1975, and its 18-foot-high first-order Fresnel lens was removed in 1983 for display at the Del Norte County Historical Museum in Crescent City.
In 1996, transfer of the lighthouse to the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society was completed. The society conducts ongoing restoration work as well as tours of the site by helicopter from October through June.
The lighthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
