Point Sur Light Station

Spanish explorers and later New England hide and tallow traders found the Big Sur coastline a great hazard, where heavy fogs and extreme winds caused the wreck of many vessels. The Gold Rush of 1849 dramatically increased coastal shipping, making a lighthouse clearly necessary. President Andrew Johnson signed the executive order reserving the site for lighthouse purposes in 1866, construction began in 1887, and the lamp was lit on August 1, 1889.

California · United States