Humboldt Harbor Light
Encyclopedia
The Humboldt Harbor Light was an early lighthouse
marking the entrance to Humboldt Bay
. Plagued by fog, earthquakes, and flooding, it was eventually abandoned in favor of a new light at Table Bluff
.
in 1850 on the shores of the bay led to the provision of a lighthouse for the bay in the first set of eight west coast lights. The design was essentially that of the original Point Loma Light: a central tower with a 1½ story house erected around it. A fourth order Fresnel lens
was provided and the light was first exhibited in December 1856. The protracted construction made this is the last of the original eight lights to be completed, and in fact some lights in the next set were lit first.
The light was situated in a sandy area towards the tip of the northern spit; the intent was for the light to serve both as a marker for the entrance and as a warning for the spit. It was quickly found that the low-lying site was vulnerable to the waves, and by 1867 the Lighthouse Board was already making plans to move the light to a new site on the south side of the entrance. In the meantime a log breakwater was placed around the light. Fog was a major problem, and a steam fog whistle was installed in 1874.
The move was delayed for some decades, and in interim the light suffered various injuries from the elements. It was damaged by earthquakes in 1877 and 1882, leading to substantial bracing and reinforcement. High water in 1885 caused such severe damage that the house was deemed unfit for occupancy, and a temporary shelter was built to house the keeper until a replacement light could be built.
The appropriation for the Table Bluff Light
finally came through in 1891, and in October of the following year the lens of the Humboldt Harbor Light was moved to the new lighthouse. The old house was used for a while to house workers on a harbor entrance improvement project, then was left to decay, with the central tower eventually collapsing around 1933. All that is left at the site today are foundation walls, though the cupola
of the lantern was eventually recovered from the sand and is displayed at the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
marking the entrance to Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
. Plagued by fog, earthquakes, and flooding, it was eventually abandoned in favor of a new light at Table Bluff
Table Bluff Light
Table Bluff Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California,United States, on southern Humboldt Bay, near Eureka, California. The Table Bluff Lighthouse was one of the first to be automated. The light house tower portion is now located at the Woodley Island Marina within the City of Eureka.-History:Table...
.
History
Humboldt Bay is reached through a narrow gap between two long sand spits, and the founding of Eureka, CaliforniaEureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
in 1850 on the shores of the bay led to the provision of a lighthouse for the bay in the first set of eight west coast lights. The design was essentially that of the original Point Loma Light: a central tower with a 1½ story house erected around it. A fourth order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was provided and the light was first exhibited in December 1856. The protracted construction made this is the last of the original eight lights to be completed, and in fact some lights in the next set were lit first.
The light was situated in a sandy area towards the tip of the northern spit; the intent was for the light to serve both as a marker for the entrance and as a warning for the spit. It was quickly found that the low-lying site was vulnerable to the waves, and by 1867 the Lighthouse Board was already making plans to move the light to a new site on the south side of the entrance. In the meantime a log breakwater was placed around the light. Fog was a major problem, and a steam fog whistle was installed in 1874.
The move was delayed for some decades, and in interim the light suffered various injuries from the elements. It was damaged by earthquakes in 1877 and 1882, leading to substantial bracing and reinforcement. High water in 1885 caused such severe damage that the house was deemed unfit for occupancy, and a temporary shelter was built to house the keeper until a replacement light could be built.
The appropriation for the Table Bluff Light
Table Bluff Light
Table Bluff Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California,United States, on southern Humboldt Bay, near Eureka, California. The Table Bluff Lighthouse was one of the first to be automated. The light house tower portion is now located at the Woodley Island Marina within the City of Eureka.-History:Table...
finally came through in 1891, and in October of the following year the lens of the Humboldt Harbor Light was moved to the new lighthouse. The old house was used for a while to house workers on a harbor entrance improvement project, then was left to decay, with the central tower eventually collapsing around 1933. All that is left at the site today are foundation walls, though the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
of the lantern was eventually recovered from the sand and is displayed at the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum
Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum
The Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum is located in Samoa, California, a small town across Humboldt Bay from Eureka. The focus of the museum is the preservation and interpretation of its collection of artifacts, photographs, library archives and materials which relate principally to the maritime history...
.