Point Reyes Lifeboat Rescue Station, 1927
Also known as: Point Reyes Lifeboat Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 on a sandy stretch of Drakes Bay, this Coast Guard lifeboat station replaced an earlier lifesaving station on Ten-Mile Beach and was placed in the lee of Point Reyes, where motor lifeboats could be launched in protected water. The complex centers on a two-and-a-half-story wood boathouse with crew quarters upstairs, a launchway with rails and cradles running into the bay, and a two-story officer-in-charge's residence. Garages, a powerhouse, a pumphouse, redwood water tanks and stone retaining walls remain on the hillside. A 36-foot motor lifeboat, built in 1953, is also associated with the site. The station is considered significant as a typical rail-launching station and the only unaltered example of its type on the Pacific Coast. It served shipping along a coastline where more than 30 vessels were lost. The Coast Guard closed it in 1968, and the National Park Service now owns it.
Significance in brief: The station is described as the only unaltered rail-launching station of its type remaining on the Pacific Coast. It keeps its boathouse, launchway, tracks, launching cradles and a 36-foot motor lifeboat. It served the humanitarian lifesaving needs of Pacific coast shipping from 1927 into the 1960s.
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 85002756, listed November 7, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Drake's Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore, Inverness |
|---|---|
| County | Marin County |
| Listed | November 7, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002756 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1927-1939 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Coast Guard |
| Architectural style | Coast Guard Standard Plan |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Maritime History, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated December 20, 1989 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed by the Coast Guard in 1968 and now owned by the National Park Service; the station was newly restored, but the marine railway was deteriorating as of a 1989 visit. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Within district | Point Reyes Peninsula Dairy Ranches Historic District |
| Coordinates | 37.99543, -122.97571 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 85002756.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7208147
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.