Point Pinos Lighthouse stands at the southern entrance to Monterey Bay in Pacific Grove, California, and has operated continuously since it was first lit on February 1, 1855, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Built as part of a chain of California coastal beacons established after the Mexican–American War, it overcame early delays in equipment shipment from France and received the third-order Fresnel lens that still remains there. Its light source evolved from whale oil to electricity and later automation. The lighthouse is also closely linked to its keepers, including Charlotte Layton and Emily Fish, and remains both an active navigation aid and a historic site.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain