Sitting three miles off Point St. George in Crescent City, California, exposed to all that Mother Nature can throw at it, is the St. George Reef Lighthouse. Not only was this one of the most difficult lighthouses to build, but in 1892, at $700,000, it was the most expensive United States lighthouse to be constructed.

This may also be one of the most challenging restoration projects taken on by a small nonprofit group. Restoration of any lighthouse can take years of fund raising, volunteer efforts and lots of hard physical work, and this is probably more evident at St. George Reef than most of the other lighthouse restoration projects. Landing by boat at the lighthouse can be dangerous in the best of conditions and at St. George Reef, workers and volunteers must make the trip by helicopter. Shown here, thanks to the folks of the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society, are some recent photos of their efforts. They are to be commended.

Photographs courtesy of Rick Heiser, Guy Towers and John Lambert