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California's second lighthouse was built at Fort Point, which
lies at the southern end of the Golden Gate. The crew which
arrived in San Francisco aboard the Oriole to build
Alcatraz were also
busy building an identical structure at Fort Point. The
lighthouse was completed in 1853, shortly after Alcatraz. The structure was
a California cottage-style dwelling with a lantern room on
the roof.
While awaiting the arrival of the Fresnel lens,
the US Army decided that the point was essential to defense
of the bay. After only three months, the new lighthouse was
torn down, and Fort Winfield Scott constructed on the site.
The third-order lens was diverted from Fort Point to Point Piños, where it has
remained ever since.
A new lighthouse was constructed on a ledge between the fort
and the sea wall. The 36-foot wooden tower was completed in
1855, and housed a fifth-order lens. This lighthouse lasted
only eight years. Erosion from the Pacific Ocean undermined
the lighthouse and threatened to do the same to the fort.
When the seawall was repaired in 1863, the second lighthouse
was removed.
The third Fort Point lighthouse was built in 1864. The
27-foot iron tower was built on the roof of the fort, placing
it 83 feet above sea level. The tower was white with a black
lantern room, and a black iron spiral staircase to the
tower. The tower housed a fourth-order lens. This tower
still stands today.
The keepers were housed on top of the bluff behind the fort.
A bridge was built to the roof of the fort from the bluff to
allow easier access for the keepers. However, the high
winds of the area made both the bridge and the spiral
staircase to the lighthouse very hazardous at times. The
wind was powerful enough the the Lighthouse Service anchored
the dwellings to the bluff with cables!
The original fog bell was mounted outside the fort.
Accessing the bell was difficult. To reach the bell, keepers
had to climb a ladder (often in high winds) down to the bell,
which sat beneath the gun emplacements. The original bell
was criticized as insufficient, but these words went unheeded
until a series of wrecks occurred in the area. The worst
wreck occurred in 1901, when the passenger steamer Rio De
Janeiro struck the rocks off Fort Point and sank with a
loss of 140 lives. Finally, in 1904, a fog trumpet was
installed. A siren went into service in 1911.
Keeper James Rankin arrived at Fort Point in 1878, and served
as principal keeper for 41 years. Upon retirement, he was
commended for saving 18 lives Fort Point.
In 1889, the Fort Point Life-Saving Station opened. The
station was built just east of the Point. During the
following years, the lighthouse and life-saving station would
work closely to monitor activity in the bay. In 1919, the
Coast Guard Lifeboat Station was built adjacent to the two
original Life-Saving structures. The station was finally
closed in 1990. All three structures are still standing.
This is the only place on the Pacific Coast where one can
visit both a Life-Saving Service station and a Coast Guard
Lifeboat station on the same grounds.
Major changes occurred in the 20th century. The lighthouse
survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, but was made
obsolete by the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. The
bridge overshadowed the point and obscured the light.
A small light and fog signal were placed at the base of the
bridge's southern tower. In 1934, Fort Point lighthouse was extinguished.
The keeper's residences and footbridge were removed.
Today, Fort Point and the Lifesaving Station are on the
grounds of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Guardians of the Golden Gate, Shanks pp. 105-127
Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses (2nd ed.), Nelson pp. 103-105
The Keeper's Log Winter 2006
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