Touring a ‘masterpiece’

A lucky few get to visit the offshore lighthouse others must squint to see

The views enjoyed by those who fly to St. George Reef Lighthouse include the approach from a helicopter, below, and the upward view of the 150-foot-tall beacon, above. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

It was carrying the day’s first load of passengers headed toward the St. George Reef Lighthouse for a tour.

A clear sky allowed for the towering cement column to be within eyeshot during the six-minute hop across the Pacific Ocean that resembled more of a lake on this temperate autumn day.

The calm was a contrast to the traditional rough conditions off the North Coast historically highlighted by the tragic sinking of the Brother Jonathan steamer in 1865. More than 150 lives lost, motivating Congress to fund the construction of the 150-foot-tall lighthouse.

As it grew nearer, details not apparent from shore became prominent: the rust streaks that stain the exterior walls, a freshly painted black deck wrapped around the top of the tower and a rusty metal staircase that was once the main entrance to the lighthouse. On first glance, the lighthouse seems to have erupted from the rock its built upon. Waves crashed against the edges creating avalanches of foam.

The helicopter landed on the catch deck after spiraling around the beacon, and a few St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society volunteers helped the disembarking passengers. This included Dr. Dennis Wood, founder of the Crescent City Marine Mammal Center, who had made the trip to survey the colony of sea lions that has adopted the base of the lighthouse as home.

Sunday, Nov. 13, marked the third day of a trip for the volunteers to help restore the lighthouse. The overall plan is to preserve and replicate how it looked when it was operated by both the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Lighthouse Service.

The restoration has been slow going for 15 years as the progress is reliant upon weather and permits granted by the National Marine Fisheries Services due to the sea lions. At most, the 15 volunteers are allowed to go for a weekend each month from November through April, though their luck hasn’t been that great.

“It’s so iffy,” said Guy Towers, president of the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society. “Last year we only had one flight and this year we may only get three.”

The smell and sharp barks from the sea lions inundated the senses upon taking the first steps out of the helicopter. A walk across the floor of the catch deck, which is also the roof of the the caisson, led to the side of the lighthouse.

The base of the platform was constructed from granite blocks, each hand cut and placed after workers used dynamite to blast away some of Northwest Seal Rock — chosen as the foundation for the lighthouse “because it’s the largest rock out here,” said Susan Davis.

“The tower is really apart of the rock,” Davis told a tour group as she explained the construction of the lighthouse.

Beginning in 1892, the base took 10 years to construct and the tower took about a year, Davis said. European craftsmen were brought to the site to perform the masonry, she said.

The catch deck was designed to collect rainwater with its slight slope construction and a gutter that surrounds it eventually leading water down a pipe to the cisterns, Davis said, reminding visitors there weren’t any lasers to guide the masons.

The deck is smooth and almost seamless — volunteers took advantage of the easy weather during that weekend to replace mortar that had eroded between the blocks. In total, 1,500 blocks of granite need to be “repointed.”

Davis was the first guide on the tour, stationed at the doorway leading into the lighthouse from the catchdeck. She greeted about a dozen three-person groups that day and led them through a wooden door into the stairwell.

It was a 96-step twisting rise through the tower. Each step was handcrafted. The geometry involved is mindboggling; a semicircular shape forms the middle column, providing a base for the step above it to stack. A triangular front for the steps and on the bottom side is a slanted,winding rectangular face that gives the view from the bottom a conch shell-like swirl.

Derith Bennet, a lighthouse enthusiast from Florida, was glowing after the winding ascent.

“It’s not just the lighthouse. It’s the experience,” said Bennet, standing on the top deck overlooking the ocean. “This is a special place.”

Bennet coordinated a 10-person group to tour lighthouses from Point Arena to Warrior Rock, Ore. The tourists included couples from Missouri, West Virginia and Florida, and four people from Southern California.

 She said St. George Reef Lighthouse was the most anticipated stop on the journey.

The tours cost $195 per person and include the helicopter ride and 90-minute guided tours.

“That’s what finances this,” said Towers.

The society is also offering the opportunity to have three of the keepers’ rooms dedicated to donors who give $5,000 for the restoration work, Towers said. A room has already been designated for Barbara Bryan from Redding, Towers said.

The three keepers’ rooms are shells of their former existence; layers of white paint cover the walls, and halfway rotted boards are the only remnants of the original tongue and groove wood flooring.

When the U.S. Lighthouse Service was tending the beacon, ornate cabinetry, desks and wooden beds provided keepers with the space to rest and store their belongings in the rooms. A photo positioned in what is believed to be the Captain’s Quarters shows keepers sitting in chairs surrounded by booze next to a sign that reads “Prohibition.”

“Sometime in the late 1940s the Coast Guard started remodeling,” said Towers. “So the place radically changed.”

The furniture and flooring were removed and walls painted, Towers said. Radio communications systems were installed and the galley was remodeled to look like a traditional kitchen of the era.

Everything changed except the lantern room, Towers said, adding that room is his favorite.

During the tour day, he spent most of his time there. Redwood wainscot installed in the late-1800s still remains in the bottom half of the room. Custom-made metal steps lead to the top of the lantern room, which provides a panoramic view of the ocean and coast.

The room sustained severe water damage after the lighthouse was decommissioned, Towers said. Weather beat the walls and broke the windows.

“Water was running down into this place for 20 years,” said Towers.

The windows have since been replaced and debris disposed of, Towers said.

“I think there’s a good chance we’ll get all of the wood work done here,” said Towers. “I think we can have this room in tip-top shape.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the society’s acquisition of the lighthouse.

“We’ve kind of reached a turning point in the restoration of this place,” said Towers, adding the society is getting more into the long term plan of renovation.

“I don’t care how risky it is or how much it costs. This is a masterpiece,” said Towers.

The next tour is scheduled Feb. 12, weather and permit allowing. People interested in taking tours should call 464-7846.