Restoration: 1995 to 2001 – Point Cabrillo Light Station

Scroll through the slides at your leisure.

The Old Lighthouse. Restoration began in 1997 and was completed in 2001.
Dry Rot, Restoration Begins, Non-living wood this close to the ocean is subject to terrible rot conditions. This photo shows an area just beneath a window sill on the southeast corner of the lighthouse.
May 2000. Staff member Jim Lintott works on the corner trim boards of the tower. Each board had to be beveled and cut to fit around the window and door frames.
Window Dressing, Prep Time, April 2000. Working on the windows, inside the fog signal building are staff members Andy Byerley, Jim Lintott, and Ginny Frundt.
Taking a Break, Lots of Windows. April 2000. Ginny Frundt, kicking back in the fog signal building in front of a stack of windows awaiting installation. Yes, there were a lot of them!
Built for Weather. Prior to replacing and repainting all side slats, the lighthouse was exposed enough to see that the original design used diagonally placed siding to help fight back the rough coastal weather and withstand gale force winds.
Puzzles. Take it apart, Put it back together. Ron Bloomquist of Elk, along with assistant Stefan Furrer, performed most of the site work on the lantern.
Light On

During this period, the Lighthouse itself, the Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop, and the Oil House were restored.

The Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop

In 1995 the first building to receive help was the Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop. It was repaired and restored to original specifications. Initial work was completed in 1996. Today it contains a 240 gallon saltwater aquarium and an interpretive center, housing the Marine Science Exhibit.

The Oil House

The next building to be repaired was the Oil House, the concrete building between the Blacksmith & Carpentry Shop and the Lighthouse. It was restored and made weathertight. The Oil House was completed in the spring of 1998.

After our work was completed on the Oil House, in July of 1998 the U.S. Coast Guard moved their LORAN equipment from the Fog Signal Building to the Oil House. The work included trenching and laying new lines. The antennae previously on top of the Lighthouse were replaced with free standing antennae behind the Oil House. The move provided the Coast Guard with more space for its equipment and enabled us to remove the partitioned downstairs in the Fog Signal Building.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse building consists of the Lighthouse Tower with the Lantern Room on top, and the Fog Signal Building. In 1996 the Conservancy was awarded a federal grant through the ISTEA program (Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Activities) for the restoration of the Lantern Room and the creation of public service facilities (parking and restroom) at Point Cabrillo. Work on the project began in August of 1998 when the Fresnel lens was dismantled and removed from the Lantern Room. The Lantern Room restoration was completed in April 1999 and the Fresnel lens was refurbished and reinstated as the active aid to navigation in time for 90th anniversary of Point Cabrillo Light Station. The restoration of the Fresnel lens was funded by grants from the California State Coastal Conservancy, local donations to the NCIA and assistance from the Coast Guard. The restoration of the Fog Signal Building was funded by the NCIA and the Coastal Conservancy. The restoration of the rest of the Lighthouse Tower and Fog Signal Building was completed in August of 2001 with funds provided by the Coastal Conservancy and the NCIA.

Later restoration included the three Lightkeeper’s residences. This work provided us with a period museum of a lightkeeper’s home in the 1930s, four vacation rental units: two large homes and two smaller cottages, as well as a public restroom.