LIGHTHOUSE IV

TRINIDAD HEAD LIGHT – CALIFORNIA

Order No. 063

HISTORY: In the 1850’s, the settlement at Trinidad Bay served as a starting point for those seeking their fortune in the California gold fields and to guide schooners carrying lumber to San Francisco. The lighthouse was built in 1871 on a cliff face almost 200 feet above the Pacific surf.

The light was first lit in 1871 with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. Although a small lens, the elevation of the tower made its beacon visible from up to 20 miles at sea. A Victorian keeper’s residence was built close to the tower and a fog signal was established in 1898. The fog signal was a 4,000 pound bell mounted on a platform below the light tower. At one point the bell was so loud that its vibrations shook apart the ringing mechanism and the machinery plunged into the sea.

In 1947 a modern optic and air horn replaced the Fresnel lens and fog bell. The Coast Guard replaced the keeper’s residences in the late 1960’s. The station was automated in 1947 and is still operational.

STITCHING INFORMATION: Stitch count: 122 stitches wide x 121 high. Our model was stitched on a 14" x 14" piece of 18-count white AIDA fabric. To use a different type of fabric or different AIDS sized fabric, give the stitch count to your fabric store and they will help you select the correct amount of fabric to complete this design. Our threads were carefully chosen to depict the actual colors of the lighthouse to give it the most realistic appearance possible.