"Design for the N.W. Seal Rock Lt. House [sic]
near Crescent City, Cal."
By George Ballantyne, ca.1883
Ink and wash on paper
20 3/4" x 28 1/4" National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the U.S. Coast
Guard
More Lighthouses: St. George Reef
Light, California St. George Reef Light is the official name of this
lighthouse located off the coast of northern California near Crescent
City. Its beacon and fog signal warned ships of the treacherous rocks
and reefs nearby. The light's location was selected because the area had
a history of serious maritime accidents. However, this site, battered
by stormy waters, presented challenges to the designer as well as hazardous
conditions for construction workers and, later, for lightkeepers. At a
cost of more than $704,000, St. George Reef was the most expensive lighthouse
built to that time. Unlike the typical lighthouse design by federal architect
Ammi B. Young, which consisted of a separate keeper's cottage and light
tower, the living quarters and light tower at St. George Reef Light were
housed in the same structure.