Anacapa Island Light Station (Boundary Increase)
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Anacapa Island Light Station occupies the eastern 40 acres of Anacapa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, overlooking the eastern entrance of the Santa Barbara Channel. The complex includes a reinforced concrete lighthouse tower holding its original 3rd order Fresnel lens, a fog-signal building, an assistant keeper's residence, service and storage buildings, a power house, oil house, derrick landings, a stairway and a concrete watershed. Landings and the stairway date from 1931, and the buildings from 1932. Most buildings follow the Spanish Revival style, with white stucco walls and red tile roofs, popular in Southern California in the 1920s and 1930s. The station was the last light station complex completed in California, following earlier calls for an island light after a steamer wreck in 1853 and an unmanned skeleton tower in 1912. The original keeper's dwelling was accidentally demolished in 1978, but the remaining buildings are original and retain a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criteria A and C. It reflects California's reliance on maritime navigation aids and is the last light station complex completed in California. It is also an intact example of Spanish Revival design, shared in California only with Point Vicente.
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 100010729, listed August 22, 2024. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park, Oxnard |
|---|---|
| County | Ventura County |
| Listed | August 22, 2024 |
| Reference number | 100010729 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1932-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Lippman, M.W. |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings and structures are described as generally in very good condition with high integrity; the lighthouse still contains its original 3rd order Fresnel lens and still plays a role in navigation. The general services building serves as the National Park Service visitors' center. |
| Acreage | 78.05 |
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 100010729.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.