National Register of Historic Places

Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse

San Francisco, San Francisco County, California
Listed
September 2, 1991
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
91001096

About this property

Yerba Buena Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay on Yerba Buena Island, California The island's lighthouse connection began in 1873 when the Lighthouse Service moved the district's depot from Mare Island to the southeast side of Yerba Buena Island. In 1875 construction was completed on the 25-foot (7.6 m) tower with a fifth order Fresnel lens, brought from the recently decommissioned Yaquina Bay Light in Newport, Oregon. In 1886 another fifth order lens replaced the previous one. In 1933, a tunnel was bored through Yerba Buena Island to serve as a link between the east and west sections of the Oakland Bay Bridge. The light was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1958. It is currently an active aid to navigation and not open to the public. Now that the lighthouse is automated, the former keeper's quarters are now the home of the Coast Guard Admiral. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: California". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. View of lighthouse from San Francisco, with Bay Bridge detail Short film study of the Yerba Buena lighthouse, including interior detail of fresnel lens.

Location

San Francisco, San Francisco County, California
37.80726, -122.36260

Categories

COMMERCETRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTUREMARITIME HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse

This page lists Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Additional Documentation)
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Quarters 10 and Building 267, Yerba Buena Island
Industrial
0.3 mi
Quarters 1, Yerba Buena Island, Naval Training Station
Industrial
0.4 mi
Senior Officers Quarters Historic District, Yerba Buena Island
Listed
0.4 mi
Torpedo Storehouse-Torpedo (Mine) Assembly Building & Long Range Accuracy Storage Building
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

San Francisco (Yerba Buena) Occupation
1846Mexican-American War
3.8 mi
Battle of Yerba Buena / San Francisco
1846Mexican-American War
3.8 mi
San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856
1856Frontier
3.8 mi
Portolá – San Francisco Bay Expedition 1769
1769Colonial
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse listed on the National Register?

Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 2, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse?

Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse?

The period of significance for Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in San Francisco County

Historic places, battles, and census history across San Francisco County.

Explore San FranciscoCounty ›

More historic places in California

Browse all historic places in California.

View Californiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

California history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Californiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Yerba Buena Island Lighthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report