Point Arena Light, Maritime lighthouse in Mendocino County, United States
Point Arena Light is a maritime lighthouse in Mendocino County on the Northern California Pacific coast, built from reinforced concrete and reaching a height of 35 meters (115 feet). The tower stands on rocky cliffs above the open ocean and houses a lens that makes the light visible over long distances.
The site was established in 1870 to protect merchant vessels from dangerous waters along this coast, where strong currents meet rocky headlands. An earthquake destroyed the original brick tower in 1906, prompting engineers to design the current concrete structure as its replacement.
The cape's name passed from Cabo de Fortunas (1543) to Punta Delgado (1775) to Barra de Arena and finally Point Arena, after the sandbar that made a lighthouse necessary. Today the keeper's quarters are rented as vacation houses, and the site's income funds preservation and education.
Guided walks take visitors up a spiral staircase to the observation platform, where the ocean and coastline spread out in all directions. The climb requires moderate fitness and good weather, as wind gusts can be strong at the top.
The 1908 first-order Fresnel lens, with 258 hand-ground glass prisms in a solid brass frame, was discontinued in June 1977 when an automated aircraft-type beacon was installed on the balcony. At that time it was the only mercury-floated light still in existence in the Twelfth Coast Guard District. The lens is now displayed in the museum.
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