St. George Reef Light
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| St. George Reef Light | |
|---|---|
 St. George Reef Light. The manmade granite caisson is five-stories high by itself and waves regularly crash that high. The boom was used to lift supply launches on to the landing platform below. |
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| Location: | Six miles off Point St. George |
| Year first constructed: | 1891 |
| Year first lit: | 1892 |
| Deactivated: | 1975 |
| Foundation: | Elliptical concrete granite |
| Construction: | Granite blocks |
| Tower shape: | Square |
| Markings/Pattern: | White with black lantern |
| Original lens: | First Order Fresnel lens, 1892 |
The St. George Reef Light was a lighthouse located six miles (10 km) off the coast of northern California near Crescent City.
Contents |
[edit] Location
A rare wave-washed sentinel where the ocean hits from all sides, its beacon and fog signal warned ships of the nearby treacherous rocks and reefs. 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 in 1865 of the Brother Jonathan. 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 medieval fortress-like structure on top of a 50-foot (15 m) high foundation.
[edit] Construction
The light was first illuminated on October 20th, 1892. It stands 134 feet (41 m) high, the tallest on the US Pacific coast. The first complete survey of the rock was done in 1882, and construction began in 1883, with the blasting of the rock into a stepped pyramid to form the core that anchored the caisson to the rock. Construction was erratic for several years due to lack of funds allotted by Congress. Work was finally completed in 1891, but the lighthouse awaited arrival of its lens from France until the following year. When the light finally became operational in 1892, the total construction expense came to $752,000- making it the most expensive lighthouse ever built in the US and more than double the initial estimate.
[edit] Operations
Duty at St. George Reef was among the most difficult of any station, due to its remote location and being surrounded by unpredictable, treacherous seas. Several people died during its construction and operation, dozens resigned or sought transfer, and a few even suffered mental breakdowns. Supplies came by launch and the entire boat was hooked on the large boom and lifted to a boat deck at the base of the caisson. Storms routinely crested over the top deck of the caisson, and in 1952 storm waves even broke the windows in the lantern room 150 feet (46 m) above sea level with seawater streaming down the tower's staircase. [1]
[edit] Termination and preservation efforts
The light station was replaced by a "floating lighthouse" buoy and decommissioned in 1975, and its 8-foot (2.4 m)-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 and was commemorated on a USPS postage stamp in 2007.
[edit] Historical Information from USCG web site
This lighthouse, built on a small rock only 300 feet (91 m) in diameter, is one of the most exposed lighthouses on the Pacific coast. Extreme difficulties were encountered in constructing this tower, and 10 years were required before the work was completed. The base of the tower is a solid block of concrete and granite, and the tower above is also built of granite blocks. The stone was quarried from granite boulders found on Mad River near Humboldt Bay. Probably the most violent storm experienced at this lighthouse was that of 1923, when huge seas from a northwesterly direction broke on the platform of the tower, 70 feet (21 m) above water, with such violence as to tear the donkey-engine house from its foundation. Several men have been injured, and several men killed in transferring to this light by small boat. St. George Reef Lighthouse represents one of the greatest challenges in U. S. lighthouse building history. Besides being one of the most expensive ever built at that time, it took eight years to complete. Great dressed granite blocks, 1339 or them, from Mad River, were used in construction. In 1892, after a cost of $752,000, the light went into service. It marks the site of the tragic sinking of the steamer Brother Jonathan. There were ever-present hazards to be encountered in the manning of St. George Reef Lighthouse, located on storm-lashed Northwest Seal Rock. A boom lifted supplies and personnel to the lighthouse. The focal point of the light was 144 feet (44 m) above sea level. It is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Crescent City Harbor and was manned by a crew of six. A 1,000,000 candlepower lamp, marker radio beacon, and a two-tone diaphone fog signal was her armament against disaster to shipping. St. George’s light was displayed from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise.
[edit] References & Sources
[edit] References
- ^ Powers, 2007
[edit] Sources
- Sentinel of the Seas: Life and Death at the Most Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built, Dennis Powers, 2007
[edit] External links
- St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society
- Del Norte County Historical Society
- National Archives and Records Administration (building plans for St. George Reef Lighthouse)
- St. George Reef Lighthouse at Lighthouse Friends
- USCG site
- http://www.nicelightimages.com/st_george_reef_lighthouse.htm
- http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/CalLts/StGeorge/StGeorge.htm
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