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LOCAL Friday 21 November 2025

A brief history of the California Light House

lenging because it was full of goats
and donkeys, and it was very isolat-
ed. There were no hotels or roads to
get there. There was only a donkey
trail. Those were the only means of
transportation.”

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