Yerba Buena Lighthouse is a
lighthouse in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, in the
San Francisco Bay on
Yerba Buena Island
Yerba Buena Island ( Spanish: ''Isla Yerba Buena'') sits in San Francisco Bay within the borders of the City and County of San Francisco. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern spans of the San Franc ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
History
The island's lighthouse connection began in 1873 when the Lighthouse Service moved the district's depot from Mare Island to the southeast side of Yerba Buena Island. In 1875 construction was completed on the tower with a fifth order
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships."
The design allows the c ...
, brought from the recently decommissioned
Yaquina Bay Light
The Yaquina Bay Light is a lighthouse that was built in 1871, soon after the founding of the city of Newport, Oregon, in the United States. It is located on the north side of Yaquina Bay. In 1871–1874, it was the busiest and most populated ...
in
Newport,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. In 1886 another fifth order lens replaced the previous one. In 1933, a tunnel was bored through Yerba Buena Island to serve as a link between the east and west sections of the
Oakland Bay Bridge. The light was automated by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
in 1958. It is currently an active aid to navigation and not open to the public. Now that the lighthouse is automated, the former keeper's quarters are now the home of the Coast Guard Admiral.
Head keepers
* N. D. Tuttle (1875 – 1877)
* Reinhold Holzhuter (1877 – 1880)
* John C. Linné (1881 – 1885)
* George B. Koons (1885 – 1888)
* John A. F. McFarland (1888 – 1892)
* Henry Hall (1892)
* John M. Nilsson (1892 – 1893)
* Richard A. Weiss (1893 – 1904)
* Herbert H. Luff (1904 – 1921)
* John P. Kofod (1921 – 1928)
* Albert N. Speelman (1928 – at least 1935)
* Lemuel C. Miner (at least 1940 – 1943)
* John J. Woyner (1943 – 1944)
* Wayne R. Piland ( – 1946)
* James C. Moore (1946 – 1947)
* Fred Zimmermann (n/a)
* Wayne R. Piland (1953 – 1958)
Yerba Buena, CA
Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved 18 June 2016
Gallery
Image:USCGyerbabuenaisland.JPG
Image:USCGyerbabuena2007rosen2.jpg
Image:USCGyerbabuena2007rosen3.jpg
See also
* List of lighthouses in the United States
This is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights. Michigan has the most lights of any state with over 150 past and present l ...
References
*
External links
View of lighthouse from San Francisco, with Bay Bridge detail
Short film study of the Yerba Buena lighthouse, including interior detail of fresnel lens.
Lighthouses completed in 1875
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Lighthouses in San Francisco
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