It was a beguiling and surreal drive along the water after leaving the 5 1/2 mile long Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for Point San Pablo. Between Point Molate and Point Orient, hidden among the areas indigenous eucalyptus trees and beyond a run of secured fencing was a regiment of boarded-up, abandoned residents reminiscent of barracks. Surviving relics of the Winehaven Winery established in 1906, the grape processing facility employed over 400 people in its heyday. It was the largest winery in the United States until the Volstead Act of 1919 ushered in the Prohibition Era and shut it down. In 1941, the 400 acre site was purchased by the Navy and used as a fuel dump until being decommissioned in 1995.
Drawing closer to my planned destination, the singular road separated into two, one leading to a gated area and the other marked by a simple directional sign. The surrounding landscape had the appearance of having been surrendered to the elements. Rusty, forsaken structures and weather-beaten, neglected docks bordered the bay's craggy shoreline, now just a haunt for past shadows. From this vantage point, I could see the island and its famous landmark perched atop it--the reason that brought me to this place on the map.
The upward drive was narrow and winding. The enveloping vegetation consisted of scruffy grasses and low growing bushes with the occasional cluster of windswept trees. Upon reaching a summit, a panoramic view presented me a sneak peak of the mist shrouded bay beyond. The downward drive was more of the same, until a final circular turn brought me to sea level where I slowly pulled up to a set of old railroad tracks. Going somewhere, the rails disappeared into the bushy landscape. In front of me, a frozen-in-time sleepy harbor unfolded across the tranquil shoreline waters of San Pablo Bay. Point San Pablo Harbor is the pick-up point for the ferry to the legendary East Brother Light Station.
The East Brother Light Station quite literally sits on top of an island in the strait that separates San Francisco and San Pablo Bay. A gracious servant of the past, it is unique among its kind in history and design. It was designed in the Stick style architecture by Paul J. Pelz. The Stick style was a late 19th-century American architectural style, transitional between the Carpenter Gothic style of the mid-19th century and the Queen Anne style. The lighthouse plans called for a three-story tower attached to a two-story Victorian dwelling having three rooms per floor.
There were five other lighthouses built in this design, each located at various places on the United States coastline, but aside from East Brother, only two are still standing. Not far down the coast from San Francisco near Los Angeles, in the San Pedro Bay, is one of them, the Point Fermin Lighthouse. The other, called Hereford Light, is on the east coast in New Jersey. As to the other three, Mare Island Light, in Carquinez Strait, California, was demolished in the 1930s, Point Hueneme Light in Santa Barbara Channel, California, was replaced in 1940, and Point Adams Light in Washington State was burned down by the Lighthouse Service in 1912.
At one point in time, East Brother Light Station's future had become as foggy as the strait it protected. It survived because it is historically intrinsic and loved by many. Now 134 years old, it is a matchless California destination with a spectacular view.
The East Brother Light Station began operation in 1873. The original lens was illuminated by a wick filled with whale oil. Four years later, a new fourth-order lens was installed and the illuminant was changed to mineral oil. In 1912, the lens was replaced again along with an incandescent oil-vapor lamp. An underwater cable was laid between the island and San Pablo Point in 1934, providing electricity for the first time. The means of illumination was replaced by a fifth-order Fresnel lens powered by a 500-watt bulb. The San Francisco Bay area is one of the foggiest places on the coast, so the island lighthouse was also outfitted with a fog horn and a fog signal building. Overtime, a water tank, storage shed, and a domed cistern surrounded by a large rain catchment basin were eventually built on the island.
Shortly after the island acquired electricity, a series of unfortunate circumstances befell the island light station. The electric cable was disabled by a ship's anchor in 1939. Until repairs could be made, the light was powered by gasoline generators placed in the signal building and drums of gasoline were stored in the boathouse. In 1940, a fire incident caused by a mishandled kerosene lantern igniting a fifty gallon drum of gasoline and explosively spreading to other drums destroyed the island's wharf and boathouse. It is believed if the wind was blowing from the east that morning, the entire light station would have been vanquished.
The Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the nation's lighthouses, and in the late 1960s, announced plans to automate the station. The government wanted to tear it down and replace it with a light on a tower. Thanks to local residents who perceived value in the past and possessed the desire to preserve its heritage, an outcry arose protesting its demolition. In 1971, the station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The light station was saved, but neither the Coast Guard nor other public agencies had funds for maintaining or restoring the buildings. The Victorian style house sat void of life and the neglect started to take its toll as the wood rotted, the paint peeled, and the iron rusted.
East Brother Light Station, Inc., a non-profit group, was formed in 1979. Through government grants, private donations, and countless hours of volunteer labor steps were taken to restore it, not just to its former glory, but into a cherished landmark where all who want to experience the wonder of a lighthouse with a beautiful vista for a magnificent backdrop could do so.
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| West Brother Room $375 (Thur - Sat), $345 Sun |
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| Two Sisters Room $345 (Thur - Sat), $315 Sun |
The East Brother Light Station is now a popular island bed and breakfast. There are five available rooms. Four of the rooms are in the lighthouse itself and the fifth is in the original Fog signal Building. The rooms are beautifully appointed and each has its own stunning view of the Bay area and surrounding landscape or seascape, whichever you prefer. Your stay includes champagne and hors d'oeuvres upon arrival, a multi-course dinner with wine and a full gourmet breakfast the next morning. If you would like the warmth and romantic atmosphere a fireplace provides, the Two Sisters Room would be your likely choice. If you seek more privacy, the Walter's Quarters in the Fog Signal Building 100 feet from the lighthouse is closest to the water.
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| Marin Room $425 (Thur - Sat), $395 Sun |
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| San Francisco Room $425 (Thur - Sat), $395 Sun |
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| Walter's Quarters $375 (Thur - Sat), $345 Sun |
Point San Pablo is 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco and a ten minute boat ride from the serene Point San Pablo Harbor. Once on the island, you will be treated to spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, Mount Tamalpais, and the Marin coastline. Your senses will be immersed and soothed by the smell of the bay, the sound of the lapping water on the rocky outcrops, and your imagination can take flight or stay put, it’s all the same either way, nostalgic and reinvigorating. Reserve a room and you will discover why San Francisco has been a top rated destination for many years among travelers.
East Brother Light Station's Bed and Breakfast excellent reviews. Reservations 510-233-2385.
