The Remnants Of This Abandoned Lighthouse In Northern California Are Hauntingly Beautiful
The rocky shores of the Northern California coastline necessitated the use of lighthouses from the mid 1800’s onward. When modern technology made many of these historic lighthouses obsolete, they were turned into museums, places of interest, memorials to those lost at sea, et cetera. Some lighthouses, like the St. George Reef Lighthouse off the coast of Crescent City, were abandoned.
This remote lighthouse is way out at sea, making it incredibly hard to get to. It’s rare to see it in person, so enjoy these photos of its eerie beauty.
The St. George Reef Lighthouse is just barely visible from the shore of Crescent City in Del Norte County. It was built on North West Seal Rock, six miles off the coast.
It took almost a decade to built and cost of over $700,000, which would be equivalent to $20 million today. It's the most expensive lighthouse the U.S. ever built.
Construction was very tough and involved blasting away parts of the island from a barge. Each stone had to fit within tight tolerances to provide a seamless wall against the ocean.
Operations at this lighthouse were also extremely challenging. Several people died during construction and on assignment here. It was operated by the Coast Guard, and it was common for people to seek reassignment from here.
Waves would frequently crash over the cassion (the wider base) of the lighthouse, and it was even reported that they once broke the windows of the lantern room 150 feet above the sea. The sea water rushed down the staircase.
However fraught with danger the lighthouse operations were, they were important for ships to navigate these treacherous waters. Here you can see the Battery Point lighthouse in the foreground and St. George Reef in the distance.
The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975 and replaced by a "floating lighthouse" buoy. It's been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1993.
The lighthouse is now owned by the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society, which offers tours via helicopter. The organization also conducts preservation efforts.
This video gives you an idea of the remote and lonely scope of this lighthouse. It’s also a beautiful shot of the lighthouse in the golden light of sunset.
This lighthouse was also featured on an episode of California Gold, which you can watch here.
What do you think about the St. George Lighthouse? Is it a place you think you will ever visit by helicopter? Share you thoughts with us!
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Jill is a freelance writer from a small Northern California town and lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains. If you have an idea for an Only In Northern California story, email her at jsanford@onlyinyourstate.com.
