San Luis Obispo Light Station
Also known as: San Luis Obispo Light Station (Port Harford Lighthouse)
Why it's listed
Set on a hillside ridge near the entrance to San Luis Obispo Harbor, this light station was completed on June 30, 1890, to serve the busy port then called Port Harford. No lighthouse stood on the south-central coast across the 94 miles between Point Arguello and Piedras Blancas, and the 1888 sinking of the steamer Queen of the Pacific strengthened the case for a light. The complex includes a 40-foot square tower attached to a two-story wood-frame keeper's residence, a 1892 fog-signal building, a brick oil house, a privy, cisterns and a catch basin. Two 1961 duplexes and a heavily remodeled carpenter's shop do not contribute. Its Victorian Stick-style design is notable: of seven similar wood-frame lighthouses built in California between 1874 and 1892, only three survive, and this is the only one in the pure, simplified Stick style. Matching brackets on the fog-signal building and oil house unify the group visually.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criterion A for its link to California's reliance on maritime transportation and navigation aids. Under Criterion C, it is an outstanding late 19th-century wood-frame lighthouse complex in the Victorian Stick style. It is one of only three surviving wood-frame Victorian lighthouses in California and the only survivor of the pure, simplified Stick style.
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 91001093, listed September 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Point San Luis, Avila Beach |
|---|---|
| County | San Luis Obispo County |
| Listed | September 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001093 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1890-1940 (amended by the Keeper from 1890-1949) |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Lighthouse Board, 12th District |
| Architectural style | Stick/Eastlake; Other: Lighthouse (wood-frame Victorian "stick" style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The tower/keeper's residence is described as structurally very good but presently unoccupied. The original 4th Order Fresnel lens has been moved to the San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum. The station continues to play a role in maritime navigation. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 35.16128, -120.75786 (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 91001093.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7208163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.