Point San Luis

In 1870, the town of Port Harford (today Avila Beach) averaged 400 ships per year, and recognizing the need for a lighthouse, congressman Romualdo Pacheco had authorizing its construction, although was unsuccessful. It was later in 1886 when Congress passed the funding authorization for the lighthouse at Point San Luis. The construction was further delayed until the night of April 29, 1888, when a ship called the Queen of the Pacific sank near Port Harford, with no lives lost. However, it was argued that had there been a functioning lighthouse the ship would have easily been able to reach the pier.

The lighthouse finally finished construction and was first lit on June 30, 1890, and the fog whistle became operational in 1891. The lighthouse had a 4th order Fresnel lens, which would alternate red and white flashes of light every 30 seconds and would be visible nearly 17 miles out at sea. In 1974, the lighthouse was decommissioned by the Coast Guard and in 1995, the non profit organization Point San Luis LIghthouse Keepers was created in order to manage the lighthouse as a historical, educational, and recreational site for the public. The 4th order Fresnel lens was returned in 2010 and is now on display at the station.