National Register #91001094
Point Montara Light Station District
16th Street At State Highway 1
Montara
Built 1875
The Point Montara Light Station District is comprised of 73 acres
containing three contributing buildings and one contributing structure.
The lighthouse itself is National Landmark 73002300.
The Light Station was established in 1875 as the Point Montara Fog Signal, and
the house was built for the keepers. The first light was not installed until 1900,
a simple lantern hung on a post. In 1912, a Fresnel lens was mounted
on a skeleton tower, and in 1928, the existing cast-iron lighthouse was built to house
the lens.
The old-fashioned fog horn continued to be important because the fog on this part
of the coast is often thick enough to restrict even the bravest beam.
The district is a California State Park, open to the public. As with many of California's
lighthouses, the structures are operated as a reasonably-priced hostel. For more information
about hours of access and about the hostel, see the
California State Parks website.
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