Big Island’s Kauhola Lighthouse to be torn down

October 28th, 2009

The Big Island will be losing a piece of history by the end of the year. The Kauhola Lighthouse, which was built in 1933, is sitting on a peninsula that is eroding. The lighthouse is in danger of falling down the face of the pali if nothing is done. The year it was built the lighthouse was 85 feet away from the cliff face and now it is 20 feet. In October 2006, the Big Island earthquake took another 6 feet off of the cliff face. The lighthouse is no longer operational.

I remember doing a geocache at that location a few years back called Windy Bluff which is now archived. It certainly was windy enough that you didn’t dare stand within 5′ of the edge. The waves were constantly pounding so it’s easy to see how so much erosion could occur at that location. It was a beautiful vista though and the lighthouse will be missed.