Point Montara Light Station
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The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Point Montara Light Station sits on a rocky bluff about 70 feet above the Pacific at Montara, San Mateo County, now surrounded by suburban homes. It began in 1875 as a fog-signal station, after wrecks such as the steamer Colorado in 1868 and the ship Acuelo in 1872 showed the danger of the reef-strewn coast. A small beacon was added around 1900, and the current conical tower was built in 1928. Its steel shaft is bolted together in prefabricated panels, which makes it the only lighthouse of that type in California. The 1902 fog-signal building, the 1875 two-story Victorian Gothic keeper's quarters and the 1902 coal shed remain grouped near the point's edge. The station was listed for its link to California maritime transportation and for its well-preserved example of a late 19th and early 20th century light station. Its period of significance runs from 1875 to 1940.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1875-1940 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Gothic (Victorian Gothic keeper's quarters); light station complex |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture, Maritime History |
| Acreage | 7.3 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Point Montara Light Station (property record) |
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.