Humboldt Bay Life-Saving Station
Also known as: United States Coast Guard Station Humbolt Bay
Why it's listed
The Coast Guard station on the north spit of Humboldt Bay's Samoa Peninsula occupies a 46.5-acre site among sand dunes. The main building dates to 1936 and replaced an 1878 Life-Saving Station. It combines two New England-style, four-over-four houses with front columned porches and ship's wheel balustrades, joined by a long central section that holds equipment and boats hauled up the marine ways. A glass-enclosed lookout sits on top, and the walls are white-painted wood shingle with green shutters. Fred J. Maurer and Son served as contractors. The nomination describes it as the only building of its kind in the region and notes only minor alterations since 1939. The site is also tied to a long record of rescues in dangerous waters at the bay entrance, including the steamer Corona in 1907, the submarine H-3 in 1916 and the U.S.S. Milwaukee in 1917. Life-saving crews also patrolled beaches during the Second World War.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the 1936 station is the only building of its kind in the region, with an eastern seacoast style that has been well preserved. It also cites military association, since life-saving services were part of the armed forces, and humanitarian service protecting life and property along Humboldt's coast since 1878. Crews took part in major rescues, including the steamer Corona (1907), submarine H-3 (1916) and U.S.S. Milwaukee (1917).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000477, listed October 30, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Samoa on Samoa Rd, Samoa |
|---|---|
| County | Humboldt County |
| Listed | October 30, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000477 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878 and 1936 (specific dates given; 1800-1899 and 1900- periods) |
| Architect / builder | Fred J. Maurer and Son, Contractors |
| Architectural style | New England large or four-over-four type houses joined by a central section; eastern seacoast style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good; building appearance, including the marine ways, largely maintained as it was about forty years earlier. Site in use by the Coast Guard. |
| Acreage | 46.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.76793, -124.21939 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000477.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5940254
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.