Name and Location

Battery Point Light, also known as Crescent City Lighthouse, is located at Battery Point Light, Lighthouse Way, Crescent City, Del Norte County, California 95531, USA. The coordinates are 41.7440911 °N, 124.2031067 °W.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was officially established in 1856 and first lit on October 20, 1856. It guided mariners along the often-foggy stretch of Northern California coast until its deactivation in 1953. The lighthouse was restored and opened as a museum in the late 20th century.

Architecture and Materials

The structure is a two-story keeper's house with an attached cylindrical tower rising from its southern end. It is constructed with load-bearing masonry (brick/stone) and has a white painted exterior and a red-shingled roof. The height of the tower is approximately 34 ft (10 m), and the focal plane is around 52 ft (16 m) above mean high water.

Light and Navigation

The original optic was a Fifth-order Fresnel lens, which has been removed. Currently, the light apparatus serves as a Private Aid to Navigation with a flashing white light, period 30 s (Fl W 30 s). The nautical reference is U.S. Light List No. LLNR 555.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is managed by the Del Norte County Historical Society and offers seasonal guided tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Limited weekend hours are available in spring and fall, and it is closed during weekdays in winter due to tides. The museum has two floors of exhibit rooms within the former keeper's quarters.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse projects into the Pacific behind a narrow tidal channel. At low tide, a sandy causeway allows pedestrian access from Lighthouse Way; at high tide, visitors must wait until the waters recede. The point overlooks Crescent City Harbor to the north and rocky surf breaks to the south.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Ref #83001177) in 1983 under criteria A (association with maritime history) and C (architectural significance). It is protected by the Del Norte County Historical Society under a long-term lease.

Further Information

For more information, visit Wikipedia, the Del Norte County Historical Society website, or the National Park Service National Register database.