Picture By Bill Odonnell May 2005 

Keeping the Watch
St. George Reef Lighthouse
Preservation Society

The S.G.R.L.P.S. is a nonprofit organization formed in 1988 whose goals were to first acquire and then preserve the St. George Reef Lighthouse.

UPDATED INFO:

LIGHTHOUSE TOURS

The St. George Reef Lighthouse is now a United States Postal Stamp and was released on June 21, 2007 as a .41 cent stamp. We have a special - limited - stamp done on day of issue. Contact Bill at billjr@odonnell.ws for details.

Also we have a special canceling stamp done too by the USPS for July 4th, 2007. We were part of a special ceremony on June 21st at the Crescent City Post Office. Odonnell Entertainment is in the final stage of a video of the event and a limited number covers were canceled with first day stamp.

The updated details on our new museum and the design will be posted shortly.

Pacific Lighthouses
Five Pacific Lighthouses will be immortalized on stamps for their important role in safeguarding mariners navigating waters. The five Pacific Lighthouses stamps will honor Diamond Head Light in Hawaii, Five Finger Light in Alaska, Grays Harbor Light in Washington, Umpqua River Light in Oregon and St. George Reef in Northern California.

Each stamp features an original acrylic painting by Howard Koslow based on recent photographs of the lighthouses. Koslow also painted the five Southeastern Lighthouses stamps issued in 2003, as well as the five stamps in the 1990 Lighthouses booklet and the five Great Lakes Lighthouses stamps issued in 1995.

St. George Reef
Perched on an exposed rock off the coast of northern California near Crescent City, St. George Reef Lighthouse took 10 years to build. From 1892 until its deactivation in 1975, the light from this concrete and granite tower warned vessels away from the hazardous reef hidden beneath the surface.

St. George Reef Lighthouse stands on an exposed rock off the coast of northern California. Visible from nearby Crescent City, the light from the tower's black cast-iron lantern began to warn vessels away from the hazardous reef hidden beneath the surface in 1892. Because continued exposure to the unforgiving elements made maintenance expensive and duty dangerous, this concrete and granite sentinel was deactivated in 1975. The St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the lighthouse. In 1993 the society successfully nominated the tower to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2002 it installed a new lens.

This was the photo the U.S.A.
Post Office used. It was taken by Stephen Corley you can order a print of it at his web site www.nicelightimages.com

The text that was mention above will be on the stamp too. It was written by Mary Stephanos at PhotoAssist, Inc.; Guy Towers, Terry and Bill Odonnell, Jr. all three with SGRLPS. The stamp as you can see his a little different than the photo a few people at SGRLPS had some ideas that the art director took. They wanted it to look like what it may look like after we finish restoring the light.

WANTED ANY PHOTOS and/or FILMS

Attention past lighthouse keepers or family and friends of even visitors from the Late 1800's to mid 1975's. We need your help on putting together the past of this lighthouse. If you have anything that can help us please contact Bill Odonnell at billjr@odonnell.ws or call toll free 877-SIX-DAYS mailing address is Bill Odonnell, PO BOX 771, Bayside, CA 95524.

Thanks for your help on this project.

Bill Odonnell
Video Grapher, Web Master, and Research Assistance 

FROM THE LANTERN ROOM

Welcome to the new keepers of St. George Reef Lighthouse as we begin the second century of watches on the "Dragon Rocks". The keepers of the first watch, those who built the lighthouse and manned it under the U.S. Lighthouse Service and the Coast Guard, have left us a legacy of service which is part of the rich maritime heritage of our nation. We will never have to stand their watch, keeping the light burning through the freezing cold, monstrous waves, and mind-numbing loneliness. The duty for our watch is but to remember their service, be trustworthy custodians of this important lighthouse, and in so doing to preserve the heritage of America's Greatest Lighthouse. Join us then, as we restore, preserve and interpret St. George Reef Lighthouse. May those of the "third watch" find our efforts as inspirational as those who have preceded us.

We are working on special programs with the NEW STAMP.

At last this should put the great lighthouse on the map.

Last update April 23, 2010

To own a part of history go to our products page.

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"Last One Out, Turn Off the Light"
is Now on DVD $19.99 Sale $14.98 in the Odonnell Entertainment® web store Creation Family Bookstore

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