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By Julie Barrow, Pigeon Point Special Projects Coordinator
After a wait of more than twenty years, construction to rehabilitate Pigeon Point Lighthouse, part of Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, is well underway. The iconic tower closed to the public in late 2001 when two large pieces of the upper belt course broke away, compromising the structural integrity of the building. Shortly afterwards, the U.S. Coast Guard added Pigeon Point to the list of properties to be excessed. In 2005, a conveyance ceremony awarded the property to the State of California and California State Parks.
After the title transfer was completed in 2011, Parks removed the first order Fresnel lens from the lantern room and placed it on display in the park’s visitor center in the fog signal building until restoration of the tower could occur. In 2019 and 2021, a total of over $18 million in state funds was committed to restoring the tower.
In December 2023, California State Parks contracted with Sustainable Group of Moraga, CA, to perform this top-to-bottom, inside and outside, work. Sustainable Group teamed with ICC-Commonwealth of North Tonawanda, NY, to bring a combined wealth of experience in the preservation of historic lighthouses, including several built to the same blueprints as Pigeon Point.
The contractors prepared the interior and completed hazardous materials abatement. They conducted a series of preliminary assessments on the interior and exterior metal and masonry. Based on those assessments, they worked with the state’s design team to refine the plan for construction. The contractors called the Pigeon Point project the most complex and comprehensive rehabilitation project they’ve ever seen.
Full scaffolding encircled the tower in anticipation of lead paint abatement and evaluation of the exterior metal and masonry components. All three cast iron belt courses will be completely replaced as will the brackets and finials beneath the lower gallery. The outer galleries and railings will also be replaced. In each case, the best pieces were removed as samples for creating molds. Because of the harsh conditions, these will be cast in marine-grade stainless steel and given a protective coating.
While much of the masonry is in good condition, there are several areas where significant work is being conducted. In the service room, the masonry will essentially be completely replaced, with a concrete bond beam added at the top of the wall. A second concrete bond beam will be added to the top of watch room wall. Also, the lower belt courses will require replacement of a good portion of the associated masonry.
The interior showed moderate deterioration, with significant damage in the upper portion of the building. The masonry was crumbling from prolonged and repeated exposure to the salt air and rainwater seeping inside. The stairs needed some work to arrest the rust that had formed but which had not significantly compromised the ironwork.
The vent ball was removed for refurbishing onsite. The amount of bird nesting material removed from the interior of the ball caused the ball to be referred to as the “Ritz-Carlton” of birds’ nests, both for its protected nature and its terrific ocean views! The lantern room roof was refurbished and an external protective layer added before the vent ball was returned.
With current projections for completion by the end of 2025, much still needs to be done to complete the restoration. Check for future updates by going to: www.parks.ca.gov/PigeonPointLighthouseRestoration
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