 1904 view of the Año Nuevo Island Light (USCG) | |
 | |
| Location | Año Nuevo Island near Santa Cruz, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°06′30″N 122°20′12″W / 37.1084°N 122.3368°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1902  |
| Construction | Wood (1st) Steel (2nd) |
| Height | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Shape | atop hexagonal tank (1st) square skeleton tower (2nd) |
| Heritage | National historical monument of Argentina |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1890 |
| Deactivated | 1948 |
| Focal height | 73 feet (22 m) |
| Range | 21 nmi (39 km; 24 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl(3) W 3s |
The Año Nuevo Island Light was a historic lighthouse on Año Nuevo Island northwest of Santa Cruz, California.
History
editThis station was first established as a fog station in conjunction with the construction of the Pigeon Point Light file miles to the north along the coast. The series of rocky points on the approach to San Francisco had claimed numerous ships, and requests to build lighthouses along the coast came as early as 1851.
Funds for purchase of the island were appropriated in 1868, but the purchase was delayed by ownership claims on the part of one Loren Coburn, who demanded $40,000 for the island and for land at Pigeon Point where another light was to be built. After threat of condemnation the price for the island was lowered to $10,000, and the purchase was made in 1870. The original steam-powered fog signal became operational in 1872. A second signal was added in 1880, requiring the construction of a larger signal building.
In 1890 a light was added to the complex; a small lantern was placed atop a hexagonal water tank enclosure. This served until 1914, when a skeleton tower was erected next to the tank, housing a Fresnel lens. In the meantime a number of improvements and additions to the facilities were made. In 1886 a sea wall was built to control erosion near the fog signal house, and in 1899 the original fog signal was replaced, requiring a third building to house it. The original keepers quarters were vastly enlarged in 1906 with addition of a whole new house, intended to house two keepers and their families.
A 1926 earthquake toppled the lens from its perch and shattered it, and the tank-borne lantern was reactivated until a replacement lens could be obtained.