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Battery Point Lighthouse

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Battery Point Lighthouse - Crescent City, California
Photos by Ben Prepelka
Ben Prepelka Photography

   Battery Point, a spit of land that forms the north end of Crescent City Harbor, provides a finicky link to Battery Point Lighthouse.Battery Point Lighthouse Display - Crescent City, California Built on a tiny islet, land access to the light station changes with the daily ups and downs of the Pacific tide. The lighthouse, built in a Cape Cod style, was one of a group of nine lighthouses raised in the mid 1800s. The Crescent City Lighthouse was among California's first round of lighthouses, spurred on by the increased maritime traffic and newcomers joining the California Gold Rush. Light station construction was completed in December, 1856, at a cost of 15,000 dollars.
   Crescent City is geographically located near the northern border of the state's 1260 mile long coastline. Battery Point Lighthouse Sleeping Quarters - Crescent City, California Here, the rugged North Coast is marked by ever-changing weather. Coupling together the Pacific's harsh weather, relentless surf and corrosive salt air, the light station endured constant challenges from the sea. Taking a severe beating from wind and waves, by 1875 the light station was listed in poor condition. Battery Point Lighthouse Fresnel Lens - Crescent City, California Remarkably, the lighthouse continued to serve Crescent City Harbor until it was deactivated in 1965.
   One of 15 California lighthouses open for tours, the Battery Point Lighthouse is only open when low tide permits visitors to walk across a narrow isthmus to the island. Operated under a lease to the Del Norte Historical Society, the lighthouse was relit in 1982 as a private navigational aid. The keeper's quarters serves as a maritime museum and features the original 4th order Fresnel lens. Lighthouse visitors may also climb to the lantern room, although access is somewhat tight. Steadily approaching the 170 year mark, the Battery Point beacon remains the oldest working lighthouse in the state.

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