Description:
Point Arena Light Station is located at Point Arena, Calif., north of San
Francisco in the Fort Point Group. The light was established in 1870, but as a
result of the earthquake of 1906, the light tower was reconstructed in 1908. The
tower is 115 feet high, with a first order lens, which is the only mercury
floated light still in existence in the Twelfth Coast Guard District. Four men
man this family station and are provided with quarters as follows: One 4 bedroom
unit, three 3-bedroom units. Other buildings are the light tower, paint locker,
fuel locker, bosun locker and buildings housing the fire pump, water pumps and
JP-5 fueling pumps. The station has a ½-ton pickup truck assigned which, among
other things, is utilized to transport dependent school children to school three
miles from the station.
Point Arena Light Station, in addition to its light and fog signal, transmits
radio beacon signals on 320 kcs, and sends weather information every three hours
to the U. S. Weather Bureau, San Francisco. Commissary and post exchange
privileges are available to men assigned and their dependents at the U. S. Air
Force 776th Aircraft and Warning Squadron, Point Arena. The station is also the
location of a heliport and fueling facility for Coast Guard helicopters, manned
by light station personnel.