Point Montara Light Station, Montara California

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The Point Montara Lighthouse stands as an excellent example of a late 19^th century and early 20^th century lighthouse/fog-signal complex. It was founded in 1875 as a fog-signal station. In 1902 a small beacon was added. In 1928 the present tower was constructed. The purpose of the station was to make a dangerous part of the coast safe for shipping and also to mark the sea road to San Francisco.

This lighthouse stands as a monument to the federal government's duty to aid the safe movement of ships along the reef-strewn Montara Coast. It also serves as an important landmark along the sea road to San Francisco Bay. This lighthouse tower dates from 1928 although federal involvement at the site began in 1875 with the installation of the fog signal. Point Montara is the seaward end of a spur from Montara Mountain. With cliffs 60' high, flanked on its shoreline by outcroppings waiting to snag the unwary vessel, it is a dangerous locale in thick weather. Mariners must use extreme caution inside the 30-fathom curve. The steamer Colorado was stranded on an offshore ledge in 1868 and the ship Acuelo was gutted below Mt. Montara in November 1872 with the loss of her coal, iron, and grain cargo. Such tragedies spurred Congress to install a fog signal at Point Montara.

Point Montara served exclusively as a fog signal station until 1900 when a small post beacon was added. In 1912 a 4^th order Fresnel lens was put atop a wooden tower. The lens was transferred to the present lighthouse tower when it was completed in 1928. It faithfully served its navigational duties until it was replaced with a modern automated beacon in 1970. Ironically, the sound of the fog signal at Point Montara is now silent while the automated light shines on as an important aid to Navigation. The lighthouse tower together with the two-story Victorian Gothic Keeper's quarters, and the fog-signal building and shed all stand as visual reminders of a late 19^th century and an early 20th-century lighthouse complex. Five other light stations in the Bay Area also had their beginnings as fog signal stations.

The station contains an intact lighthouse tower (minus lens) and several associated historical buildings. The original lighthouse tower, fog signal building, shop, and Keeper's quarters are all grouped together in a cohesive whole at the edge of the point. The only intervening building is the Assistant Keeper's quarters built in 1961. Mature cypress trees that were most likely planted by a Keeper in the early days of the station, give unity and a picturesque quality to the site. The only significant structures no longer standing include the laundry building and the small wood-frame lens structure constructed in 1912. It was demolished when the present, more substantial tower was erected in 1928.

The lighthouse tower, built in 1928, is the principal element of the lighthouse complex. The tower's conical shape and glass-and-iron lantern room is similar to many other lighthouses in California. It is a distinctive tower in that the sides of the shaft are made of steel and are bolted together in panels. This method of construction allowed for prefabrication at a distant location and quick assembly at the site. It is the only bolted metal-sided lighthouse in California, although others have been constructed in the United States. The structure is complete with the exception of the removal of the original 4th-order Fresnel lens.

Before the installation of the first light in 1900 the complex was exclusively a fog-signal station. This present 1902 building replaced the original dilapidated fog-signal building of 1874. It is identical or very similar to the standard fog signal buildings built in California in the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. Most had one large center chamber with two small rooms off to each side. Double doors were always located on the front facade. The exteriors were usually unadorned, reflecting their utilitarian use. This building is in very good condition.

The Keeper's quarters was built in 1875 and is generally whole. Alterations have been made over the years, however. Nineteenth century photographs reveal that the front recessed porch has been enclosed and a small rear porch has been added. These changes were probably performed in the early part of the 20^th century. Photographs also show that the characteristic Gothic gable trim has been removed, although some brackets still remain. Even without the Gothic trim, the irregular plan and steep projecting gables place this building squarely in the tradition of late 19^th century Victorian Gothic architecture. Many Keeper's dwellings in California were built in this style. Now, only this building and the Keeper's dwelling on Yerba Buena Island survives.

The coal shed building was built in 1902. A ready and convenient supply of coal was necessary for the operation of the adjacent fog-signal. Some modifications have been made to the building over the years, especially to the interior.

The 1961 Assistant Keeper's quarters, the garage (tank house), and the several World War II storage buildings also exist at the station.

Site Description

The Point Montara Lighthouse stands as an excellent example of a late 19^th century, early 20^th century lighthouse and fog-signal station. The original lighthouse tower, fog signal building, shops, and Keeper's quarters are all grouped together at the edge of the point. Original structures no longer standing include: a laundry, the first fog signal building replaced by the present fog-station building in 1902, and the small wood-frame lens structure constructed in 1912 to house the newly-arrived Fresnel lens. This last structure was demolished in 1928 when the present tower was erected. The station sits atop a rocky bluff at the end of the point, 70 feet above the ocean. Though extremely isolated when built, it is now surrounded by suburban residential development.

The light tower, built in 1928, is a conical-shaped lighthouse constructed primarily of steel. At its apex, a cupola-shaped lantern room with a metal conical roof rests atop a galleried circular platform supported by arched metal brackets. Beneath the platform, a narrow band encircles the shaft of the tower and is pierced with 5 small porthole window openings. Another narrow band encircles the shaft midway between the ground and the underside of the top platform. One exterior door with an undecorated steel pediment leads into the first level of the structure. The original Fresnel lens has been replaced with a modern, automatic airway-type beacon. The structure is in excellent condition.

The tower's conical shape with its glass and iron lantern is similar to many other lighthouses in California. It is unique, however, in that the sides of the shaft are made of steel and are bolted together in panels. This construction method has the advantage of allowing for prefabrication at a distant location and quick assembly at the site. It is the only bolted, metal-sided lighthouse existing in California, although, others have been constructed in other parts of the United States.

The fog signal building, built in 1902, is a one-and-one-half-story rectangular wood-frame building with one-story rectangular wings flanking both ends. The center structure housed the mechanical equipment for the fog signal; the two wings contained the Watch Room and Tack Room, respectively. The center structure and wings each have peaked gable roofs covered in unpainted wood shingles. The exterior of the entire structure is covered with horizontal clapboards and is unadorned except for wooden brackets under the gable of the center section. The interior of the center chamber is of open-beam, exposed truss construction. A split-landing wooden staircase and platform that formerly supported the fog-signal apparatus are found on the upper level. Vertical tongue and groove paneling is found throughout the interior of the structure. Wide double doors and five windows (four freestanding and one paired) are found on the east facade. Four windows are found on the west facade.

The fog-signal building is identical or very similar to the standard fog-signal buildings built in California in the late 19th/early 20^th century. Most had one large center chamber with two small rooms off to each side. Double doors were always located on the front facade. The exteriors were usually unadorned, reflecting their utilitarian usage. This building is in very good condition. The fog-signal equipment has been removed.

The Keeper's Quarters, built in 1875, is a two-story Victorian Gothic dwelling constructed primarily of wood. The building rests on a foundation of brick (with concrete repairs). The plan of the building is irregular with prominent, steep gable ends forming the roof line of the building's projections. The roof is covered in red composition shingle. Horizontal clapboards cover the exterior. The exterior of the building is in very good condition.

The dwelling was constructed as a duplex and is still being used that way today. Access to the second-floor unit is obtained by way of a split-run stairway at the north end of the building. The stairway balustrade, newel post, and wainscot paneling are the most prominent historical features of the interior. The condition of the interior is very good-to-fair.

Nineteenth-century photographs reveal that the front recessed porch has been enclosed and a small rear porch has been added. These changes were probably performed in the early part of this century. Photographs also show that the characteristically Gothic gable trim has been removed, although some brackets still remain. Even without the Gothic trim, the irregular plan and steep projecting gables place the building squarely in the tradition of late 19^th century Victorian Gothic architecture. Many Keeper's dwellings in California were built in this style. Now, only this building and the Keeper's dwelling at Yerba Buena Island survives.

The Coal Shed, built in 1902, is a one-story rectangular building with a gable roof. The roof is covered with unpainted wood shingles. The facade is covered with clapboards. The building rests on a concrete foundation. The condition of the structure is very good.

The Duplex for Assistant Keepers was constructed in 1961.

The Tank House was constructed in 1907 and was converted to a four-car garage in 1939.

Two concrete storage bunkers built in 1942 remain from the World War II era when a small Naval operation was established south of the lighthouse property.