After his invention, the brightest lighthouses could be seen all the way to the horizon, about twenty-four miles. The most effective lighthouses could only be seen eight to twelve miles away. Augustin Jean Fresnel of France revolutionized optics theories with his new lens design in 1823.īefore Fresnel developed this lens, lighthouses used mirrors to reflect light out to sea. The lens in the Point Reyes Lighthouse is a "first order" Fresnel (fray-nel) lens, the largest size of Fresnel lens. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark and can be viewed from the Chimney Rock Trail. A new lifesaving station was opened in 1927 on Drakes Bay near Chimney Rock and was active until 1968. Men walked the beaches in four-hour shifts, watching for shipwrecks and the people who would need rescue from frigid waters and powerful currents. Unfortunately, the combination of lighthouses and fog signals does not eliminate the tragedy of shipwrecks.īecause of this ongoing problem, a lifesaving station was established on the Great Beach north of the lighthouse in 1890.
Fog signals sound an identifying pattern to signal the location to the passing ships. On days when it is too foggy to see the lighthouse, a fog signal is essential. Mariners recognize lighthouses by their unique flash pattern. They also help mariners navigate by indicating their location as ships travel along the coast. Lighthouses provide mariners some safety by warning them of rocky shores and reefs. Top of Page The Lighthouse, Fog Signal and Lifesaving Station Saved Lives Finally, after many years of tedious political pressure, transport of materials and difficult construction, the Point Reyes Light first shone on December 1, 1870. It took six weeks to lower the materials from the top of the cliff to the lighthouse platform and construct the lighthouse. To be effective, the lighthouse had to be situated below the characteristic high fog. Meanwhile, 300 feet below the top of the cliff, an area had been blasted with dynamite to clear a level spot for the lighthouse. The parts were loaded onto ox-drawn carts and hauled three miles over the headlands to near the tip of Point Reyes, 600 feet above sea level. The parts from France and the parts for the cast iron tower were transferred to a second ship, which then sailed to a landing on Drakes Bay. The clockwork mechanism, glass prisms and housing for the lighthouse were shipped on a steamer around the tip of South America to San Francisco. The Point Reyes Lighthouse lens and mechanism were constructed in France in 1867. Top of Page The Point Reyes Light First Shone in 1870.
The lighthouse at Point Reyes National Seashore is now a museum piece, where the era of the lightkeepers' lives, the craftsmanship and the beauty of the lighthouse are actively preserved. Many decommissioned lighthouses were transformed into restaurants, inns, or museums.
They then transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the National Park Service, which has taken on the job of preserving this fine specimen of our heritage.Īll lighthouses in the United States are now automated because it is cheaper to let electronics do the work. Coast Guard installed an automated light. The Point Reyes Lighthouse, built in 1870, was retired from service in 1975 when the U.S. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse warned mariners of danger for more than a hundred years. The Point Reyes Headlands, which jut 10 miles out to sea, pose a threat to each ship entering or leaving San Francisco Bay. Weeks of fog, especially during the summer months, frequently reduce visibility to hundreds of feet. Point Reyes is the windiest place on the Pacific Coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent. Point Reyes: A Treacherous Obstacle to Mariners
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