Lighthouse Lens

Description

Point Conception is a headland along the coast of southwestern Santa Barbara County. It is the point on the coast where the warmer waters of the Santa Barbara Channel meet the Pacific Ocean, and it is also a place where strong currents converge, causing dangerous turbulence in a rocky area. Because of the dangerous weather, wind, and water conditions, which resulted in hundreds of shipwrecks, it was determined in 1852 that a lighthouse was necessary. The original Point Conception Lighthouse was completed in 1854. It stood on a 215 foot bluff above sea level . A Fresnel (fray-nel) lens was installed in the lantern room and lit for the first time in 1856. The lens was a monumental step forward in maritime safety. This lens has 624 pieces of specially cut glass surround a wick. This design intensifies the light into a single, intense beam of light, which shines out in a specific direction.