History
Construction on the Destruction Island Lighthouse began in 1888. The island was proposed as a site for a lighthouse years earlier, but a shortage of funds and shifting priorities delayed the project. After the 94-foot conical tower was complete, it was wrapped in a skin of iron to protect it from the elements. The fog signal was installed on 1891 and the five concentric wicks of the lamp were set afire for the first time. The Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the lighthouse in 1939 before it was automated in 1968. At that time, the Coast Guard was in hopes of turning off the beacon for good. Protests from local fishermen hindered their decision.
The first order Fresnel lens continued its countless revolutions until it was removed in 1995 and replaced with a Vega Rotating Beacon. At that time the use of the underwater power cable was retired to solar panels. The Coast Guard gutted the original fog signal building and developed it into temporary housing just in case weather prevented maintenance crews from leaving the island. The two keepers' dwellings are no longer standing. The only remaining companions to the lighthouse are two oil houses, the fog signal building and original water tower.
The Coast Guard, trying to save on costs, made the decision to shut off the light for good in April, 2008. This is one of many lights within the 13th district Coast Guard to end its services to mariners. The island itself is now a nature preserve.
Read more about this topic: Destruction Island Light
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—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)