Punta Gorda Light
Encyclopedia
Punta Gorda Lighthouse is a lighthouse
in United States
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Cape Mendocino
, California
. Access is by vehicle and one and an hour hike on foot. It is now part of State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation
After World War II
, 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
was removed, and the station was boarded up and deactivated in 1951. The keeper's house and all other station buildings were demolished.
Historical Information from USCG web site:
Punta Gorda originally consisted of 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) 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
. 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
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
on October 5, 1976. The Fresnel lens and the flag staff pole were removed many years ago to the Maritime Museum in Eureka, California
The Punta Gorda Light was known as the " Alcatraz of Lighthouses" because of its remote location and difficult access.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Cape Mendocino
Cape Mendocino
Cape Mendocino located on the Lost Coast entirely within Humboldt County, California, USA, is the westernmost point on the coast of California. It has been a landmark since the 16th century when the Manila Galleons would reach the coast here following the prevailing westerlies all the way across...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Access is by vehicle and one and an hour hike on foot. It is now part of State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation
History
Punta Gorda Lighthouse was built in 1911 and was first lit in 1912.After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was removed, and the station was boarded up and deactivated in 1951. The keeper's house and all other station buildings were demolished.
Historical Information from USCG web site:
Punta Gorda originally consisted of 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) 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
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
. 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
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
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
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on October 5, 1976. The Fresnel lens and the flag staff pole were removed many years ago to the Maritime Museum in Eureka, California
The Punta Gorda Light was known as the " Alcatraz of Lighthouses" because of its remote location and difficult access.
See also
- Trinidad Head LightTrinidad Head LightTrinidad Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse in United States, in Trinidad Harbor, California. The historic site is located north of Eureka, California.-History:...
: another historic lighhouse in Humboldt County - National Register of Historic Places listings in Humboldt County, California