Lime Point sits at the north end of the Golden Gate. In 1883, a fog signal station was established at the site. The entrance to the San Francisco Bay is frequently engulfed in fog. The bay is the only gap in the Coastal Range mountains between Cape Mendocino and Point Sur that the Pacific fog can enter. The new fog signal was built with a two story brick dwelling for two keeper's families and a fog signal building with a pair of 12-inch steam whistles. The station was completed in September 1883.

The steam whistle was fueled by water from a 20,000 gallon tank and as much as 150,000 pounds of coal a year. Water for the tank was obtained from a nearby spring. The water tank was damaged by a landslide in 1883 and again by the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

In 1900, the fog station received a small 300 mm lens lantern. The light was placed on the wall of the fog signal building, and stood a mere 19 feet above water. Similar lights were installed at Angel Island and Point Montara fog stations.

In the 1900's, the Lighthouse Service tested oil as an alternative to coal for the fog signal. The cost of operating the signal for a day dropped from $25.44 to $6.91. The keepers no longer needed to constantly shovel coal into the furnace to keep the whistles blowing.

A secondary light was established on Point Diablo in 1923, between Point Bonita and Lime Point. A siren and two lens lanterns were installed 50 feet above the bay. The secondary station was managed by the keepers of Lime Point.

In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed. The bridge was built directly over Lime Point and Fort Point. While Fort Point light shut down, Lime Point continued service. Keepers now faced additional hazards. Items dropped by visitors on the bridge could cause serious injury. The orange paint from the bridge gave the station's buildings and laundry an orange tinge!

On June 3, 1960, the fog signal and light were in operation, and Keeper Nieves Saldate was on watch. A loud jolt shook the station - the 400 foot freighter India Bear, 200 yards off-course, had rammed the light station.The ship plowed into the stations bathroom, cut the air pipes to the fog horn, and hit the reef. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and both ship and station were repaired.

The station was automated in 1961. All structures were removed from the site except the fog signal building. The building has suffered due to vandals and neglect, and now stands forlorn below the Golden Gate Bridge.

References (see links)

Guardians of the Golden Gate, Shanks pp. 151-159
Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses (2nd ed.), Nelson pp. 106-108