Battery Point Light
Crescent City
Battery Point Light
LocationCrescent City
California
United States
Coordinates41°44′39″N 124°12′11″W / 41.7441°N 124.2031°W / 41.7441; -124.2031
Tower
Constructed1856
Foundationnatural emplaced
Constructionbrick tower and granite keeper's house
Automated1953
Height45 feet (14 m)
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern on the roof of keeper's house
Markingswhite tower, red lantern
OperatorDel Norte County Historical Society[1] [2]
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place, California Historical Landmark Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1856 Edit this on Wikidata
Deactivated1965–1982
continuously occupied
Focal height77 feet (23 m)
LensFourth order Fresnel lens (original), 375 mm lens (current)
Range12 nautical miles; 23 kilometres (14 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 30s.
Official nameCrescent City Lighthouse
Reference no.83001177[3]
Reference no.951[4]

Battery Point Light is a lighthouse in Crescent City, California, United States. It is registered as a California Historical Landmark,[4] and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Crescent City Lighthouse".[3]

History

Battery Point Light was one of the first lighthouses on the California coast. Rugged mountains and unbridged rivers meant coastal travel was essential for the economic survival of this region. In 1855, Congress appropriated $15,000 for the construction of a lighthouse on the tiny islet, which is connected to Battery Point by an isthmus which is visible and can be traversed on foot at low tide. Although not included in the 1852 contract by the United States Lighthouse Service for the first eight west coast lighthouses, the Battery Point Lighthouse was actually lit ten days before the Humboldt Harbor Lighthouse, the last of the original eight to become operational. The fourth-order Fresnel lens was lit in 1856. The lighthouse was automated in 1953, and a modern 14.8-inch (375 mm) lens replaced the fourth-order Fresnel lens. Theophilis Magruder was the station's first keeper; Wayne Piland was its last before automation in 1953. The 1964 Alaska earthquake, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the northern hemisphere, caused a tsunami. The lighthouse survived. In the following year, the modern beacon that replaced the Fresnel lens in the tower was switched off, and a flashing light at the end of the nearby breakwater served as the harbor's navigational aid. In 1982, the light in the lighthouse tower was lit again, and the Battery Point Lighthouse was listed as a private aid to navigation.

Battery Point Lighthouse and Museum

Del Norte Historical Society operates the Battery Point Lighthouse and Museum. The lighthouse is open to the public only when low tide permits access, daily from April through September with tours between 10 AM and 4 PM.[5] October through March, the lighthouse is open for tours on weekends, from 10 AM to 4 PM. In both seasons, visits to the Battery Point Lighthouse and Island are only possible at low tides.[5] It is recommended that visitors research tide times before visiting, as the tide rises quickly at the point and the land bridge to the lighthouse can disappear rapidly. The museum includes the lighthouse keeper's quarters with period furniture and artifacts since the 1850s, as well as displays of maritime artifacts, photos and historical documents. Tours include a climb into the light tower.[5]

At least two novels have been set at Battery Point Light. Walk Across the Sea, by Susan Fletcher, is a 2001 work of historical fiction for teens. The Lightkeeper's Daughter, by Colleen Coble, is a 2010 inspirational romance for adults.

Also, the music video for the Tim McGraw song "Not a Moment Too Soon" has scenes of McGraw next to the light on the lighthouse's top balcony and scenes of the Battery Point Light from a distance.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Northern California". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  2. ↑ California Historic Light Station Information & Photography United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 9 June 2016
  3. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "California Historical Landmarks in Del Norte County". Office of Historical Preservation. California State Parks. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
  5. 1 2 3 "Battery Point (Crescent City), CA". Lighthouses of the United States. Lighthouse Friends. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
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