The Piedras Blancas Light Station has turned 150 years old.
“We had much more shipwrecks along the coast, and it helped folks navigate up and down the coast,” said Ryan Cooper, the Piedras Blancas Light Station manager.
Located along Highway 1, construction on the lighthouse began in 1874. It was first lit on February 15, 1875.
“150 years ago to this day, was the first time that the light was lit on top of the lighthouse,” Cooper said.
Before the lighthouse, the Salinian culture knew this area as Tewe.
“It was very important to all the Salinian culture out here in this region, for it was one of the main areas they would congregate with their tribal communities,” said Michael Erin Woody, Salinian Tribe of Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
Volunteers, local, and federal agencies, and tribal groups were among the 100 people who attended Saturday's celebration.
“I took a tour, and someone said we need to trim the trail every once in a while, and I said I can do that,” said Bob Dees, volunteer.
Bob Dees says he's found many archaeological items during his 10 years volunteering at the lighthouse.
“Even when I’m weeding, I’ve found old tin cans, a children’s ball. That kind of thing. It’s fascinating. Lots of history here,” Dees said,
Light station manager, Ryan Cooper, says lighthouse keepers around 1875 would live on the grounds in a house with their families.
“There would be a head lighthouse keeper and several assistant lighthouse keepers,” Cooper said. "There could be several families all living together in one house."
A full multi-million-dollar restoration project is in the works. Cooper says they hope to start the project within the next year or so.
“Then it just takes the money, whether that comes from a grant, donor, or federal government,” Cooper said.
Within the past year, the light tower has been newly painted for the first time in 15 years, and the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association is working on engineering to do a seismic retrofit on the tower.
For more information on restoration efforts, click here.
