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local Friday 5 december 2025

A brief history of the California Light House

(Oranjestad)—At the furthest west- Mr. Fingal continues, “In 1939, I was presence of coral. There is a long
ern point of the island, there lies the born in the lighthouse, and my fa- steel cable from where the light is,
tallest structure on the island: The ther was the last lighthouse keeper and under the light, at the highest
California Light House. Standing on until he retired in 1962. After that, point, there is a hanging weight, a
top of a limestone cliff, this light- they removed the power cables sort of pendulum that swings like
house oversees the entire island, all the way to the top. According that, with a weight that measures
offering one of few best views of to the story, we couldn’t have the about 1 meter by 30 centimeters
the island and the surrounding sea. light ourselves because they dis- wide, which is a block of solid iron
It is also one of the few monuments mantled it, and after many years, attached to a cable. When you
that hold a rich history. I heard that it is in a train museum release it upwards, it comes down,
in San Nicolas, where we found this and the weight that comes down
The lighthouse was constructed very special lens that, when the pulls it up, gradually. And while it
in between 1914-1916, and its light shines through it, it reaches 30 comes down, the same weight
first keeper was a young trained kilometers out to sea.” Mr. Fingal that is descending causes many
lighthouse keeper from Curacao told our reporter. small wheels to turn in the opposite
names Jacob Jacobs. Mr. Frederi- direction. The Lighthouse rotates
co Fingal was the last man to have The lighthouse has a long and very from 6 pm in the evening, when
occupied this position until 1962. interesting history. The reason why the sun sets, until 6 am in the morn- place. He hopes that the story of
Though his son, Mr. Romulo Fingal the lighthouse was built, according ing. During the entire night, the light the lighthouse will continue to live
did not continue in his father’s foot- to Mr. Fingal, dates back to the day shines on the lantern, it goes down on for future generations.
steps, he does have a special con- when the cargo ship S.S. California 24 meters, and the Lighthouse is 30
nection to the lighthouse. He sat sank because of the lack of light. meters high. It is designed not to Special announcement form the
down with our reporter and shared In 1913, Aruba made a request collapse,” Mr. Fingal explains. Monument Fund Aruba for 2025
a bit of its history. to Curacao to build a Lighthouse Starting Monday, October 13th,
at Westpunt, and the governor of Mr. Fingal further explains that in until the end of 2025, the Califor-
As Mr. Fingal explains, “In 1915, Curacao responded to Aruba to one night, the lighthouse rotates nia Lighthouse will be closed to the
cargo donkeys were hired from come back in 1915 with a well-de- 4,320 times and consumes one public. The reasoning behind this is
Figaroa di Noord to help build the tailed plan. “During the First World gallon of kerosene for the whole that the lighthouse is due for a ma-
Lighthouse at Westpunt. The don- War from 1914 to 1918, they had to operation. “At that time, the kero- jor maintenance.
keys had to walk along the beach wait for the light to be transported sene was supplied from the Lago
all the way to Westpunt carrying to Aruba because it was manufac- refinery. Every day it was brought Stichting Monumentenfonds Aruba
the cargo, poles, cement, and all tured in France. At that time, there down, and to start the light again, (SMFA) is the owner of the light-
these things. At that time, it was a was no electricity, and the light they had to lift the weight up, so house and operates under a main-
difficult task until Aruba got its first was very interesting because it ro- our job as children was to crank tenance plan in which each year,
truck. tated with a kerosene lamp that it and raise the weight back up in different monuments belonging to
planes used; clean kerosene,” Mr. the evening when the light stuck, the foundation receive upkeep.
These things reflect how people Fingal said. they would take it down again, Recently, work was completed on
could have accomplished this and the light stayed down. That’s the Casita Geel on Weststraat, and
tremendous job with so little.” Mr. Mr. Fingal discovered something how it worked for a very long time,” now it will continue with the Califor-
Fingal said, “At that time, it wasn’t very interesting about the light- Mr. Fingal explains. nia Lighthouse.
a place for people to work. It was house after much research was
very challenging because it was documented in his book ‘History Thanks to the Monument Fund Due to the lighthouse’s location
full of goats and donkeys, and it of the Lighthouse at Westpunt.’ Aruba, which worked hard and and its daily use, it is one of the
was very isolated. There were no He found many details: “I found is currently in charge of the Light- monuments that requires a lot of
hotels or roads to get there. There out that the height of the light- house, Mr. Fingal is very happy maintenance. The work is expect-
was only a donkey trail. Those were house was due to the absence with its preservation, along with all ed to last approximately two and
the only means of transportation.” of electricity. There was also the the renovations that have taken a half months.q