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“RECOGNIZING THE 101ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE POINT ARENA LIGHT STATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2699-E2700 on Nov. 3, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THE 101ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE POINT ARENA LIGHT STATION
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HON. MIKE THOMPSON
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Point Arena Light Station on the magnificent Mendocino Coast in northern California.
A beacon to mariners since the original Point Arena Lighthouse was constructed in 1870, the Point Arena Light Station was rebuilt following its destruction by the devastating 1906 earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. The old brick and mortar construction was replaced with a new design featuring steel reinforcement rods encased in concrete to withstand future earthquakes. Point Arena Light Station was the first lighthouse to be built in this manner.
The new Lighthouse stands 115 feet tall and began operation in 1908, nearly 18 months after the quake. The Light Station is home to a First Order Fresnel Lens built in France and one of very few left in the United States. It is six feet in diameter and weighs more than six tons. The lens is made up of 666 hand-ground glass prisms all focused toward three sets of double bull's eyes. It gave the Point Arena Lighthouse its unique ``light signature'' of two flashes every six seconds. This incredible optic, that holds an appraised value of over
$3.5 million, is set in solid brass framework.
Prior to the introduction of electricity, the lens was rotated by a clockwork mechanism. The Keepers, or ``wickies'' as they were called, had to hand crank a 160-pound weight up the center shaft of the lighthouse every 75 minutes to keep the lens turning. Later, two 1,000 watt electric lamps were installed to replace the oil lamp, and an electric motor was installed to replace the clockworks.
In 1977, an automated aircraft-type beacon on the balcony tower, and the historic First Order Fresnel Lens was discontinued. The 400-pound aircraft beacon was recently replaced by a modern rotating light that incorporates the Fresnel principles for the efficient projection of light. In addition, a radio beacon, with a 50-mile signal that originates from the station, also assists mariners. The original oil lamp was visible for approximately 18 miles, the 1st Order Fresnel Lens for 20 miles and the current modern rotating light can be seen for 16 miles. In 1978, the fog signal at the station was silenced, and a bell buoy was placed nearby.
In 1984, The Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Transportation transferred the Point Arena Light Station to the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers, a nonprofit organization as part of a 25-year land lease. In 2000, the PALK became the official owners of the property due to their diligent historic preservation and educational efforts. Daily visitation, gift store sales, memberships and the rental of the historic Keeper's homes on the property as vacation houses, provide income for ongoing preservation, facility upgrades and educational endeavors.
Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the ongoing contribution and historic significance of one of America's treasures, the 101-year-old Point Arena Light Station.
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