A hundred years ago, ships sailing between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay could look to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse for reassurance that the safety of dry land was nearby. In these days of radio and sonar, however, the lighthouses of old are mainly curiosities, reminding us of the past—a past that could soon be forgotten. Pigeon Point Lighthouse is crumbling away, and there is no money to rescue it. The 115-foot tower that appeared on posters and postcards around the world, is now streaked with rust and surrounded by fallen masonry.
Five years ago, the lighthouse was transferred to the State Parks Department, but it took three years before the deed could be transferred from the Coast Guard to the department. Then, before repairs could take place, a study had to be conducted to assess the full extent of the damage. Then came the state’s budget woes, culminating in the recession. Funding for state parks was one of the first victims of Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget cuts.
Efforts have been made to raise the $5 million dollars needed to restore the lighthouse from public donations. According to the California State Parks Foundation, they have raised only 10 percent of the total amount. Since then, the cost of restoration has climbed to $9.2 million.
The loss is unfortunate. The lighthouse, built in 1871, was named after the Carrier Pigeon, a ship that was wrecked there in 1853. The 245-panel, original Fresnel lens is still intact, and capable of producing over 500,000 candlepower illumination. It consists of 1,008 individual lenses and prisms, manufactured in France. The lighthouse emits a flash of light every ten seconds. Lard was first used as a fuel, but this was replaced by kerosene in 1888, and by a 1,000 watt lightbulb in 1926.
Though the lighthouse still serves as a navigational aid by the U.S. Coast Guard, its days may be numbered.
Read More at the Mercury News.
image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LighthousePigeonPointCA.jpg
