Mare Island Light was a lighthouse located in California, United States, on the north shore of San Pablo Bay at the entrance to Carquinez Strait, near Vallejo, California.
Location and Specifications
The lighthouse was situated on Mare Island, Vallejo, Solano County, California, at coordinates 38°04′29″N 122°15′02″W. It consisted of a wooden square tower with a balcony and lantern attached to a keeper's dwelling. The tower stood 76 feet (23 m) above mean high water, with a focal height of 12 meters (39 ft). It was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens and displayed a fixed white light (characteristic: F W).
History
Mare Island Light was constructed in 1873 and first lit the same year. It was designed by architect Paul J. Pelz, who also designed several other lighthouses in the same style, including Point Fermin Light (San Pedro, California), East Brother Island Light (Richmond, California), Point Hueneme Light (California), Hereford Inlet Light (North Wildwood, New Jersey), and Point Adams Light (Washington State).
The lighthouse served to guide maritime traffic into the Sacramento River Delta and supported operations at the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard, the first U.S. naval installation on the Pacific coast.
Deactivation and Demolition
The United States Lighthouse Board later determined that an offshore light positioned near the junction of the strait and river would better serve navigation. The Carquinez Strait Light opened in 1909 to replace Mare Island Light in purpose. Mare Island Light was deactivated in 1917 and subsequently demolished in the 1930s.
Subsequent Use of the Site
In 1942, a U.S. Navy Direction Finding Station was erected on the site, operated by Navy radio personnel stationed at Naval Radio Station, Mare Island. This station was closed in 1945 after World War II ended, and a Navy Radio Beacon was later installed in its place.
