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PREVIOUSLY

• Here’s Why U.S. Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay Has Been Wrapped in Plastic for Weeks On End

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Well, lookie there! The historic U.S. Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay has emerged from its chrysalis with a brand-new set of historically accurate windows and doors.

Just over a year ago, the exterior of the building, which is also called the Humboldt Bay Life-Saving Station, was almost entirely wrapped in white plastic, giving the structure a circus tent vibe while sparking curiosity among passersby.

The reason for the wrap, it turned out, was lead paint remediation. The handsome edifice, located on the North Spit near the entrance to Humboldt Bay, was built way back in 1936 (replacing the original 1878 structure), and the old paint still adhered to the siding.

As we reported back in December 2024, the Coast Guard hired local contractors to complete an extensive renovation project, which involved remodeling the bathrooms and replacing all the siding, windows and doors.

The work was supposed to be completed by last summer, but Lieutenant Junior Grade Nathan O’Brien, public affairs officer with USCG Sector Humboldt Bay, tells the Outpost that the project wasn’t completed until late last week. 

“The primary cause for the delay was an unforeseen challenge in procuring windows and doors that met the stringent historical requirements of the building,” O’Brien explained in an email. 

Why such stringent requirements? Well, the three-story structure has been recognized as the best example of a New Deal-era “Roosevelt Style” Coast Guard station in the western U.S., and in 1979 (or perhaps 1977) it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

As such, history buffs care very much about this building. In 2020, in a story about the planned removal of the station’s defunct marine railway, the Outpost cited historian Ralph Shanks’ description of the building as “the apex of Coast Guard architecture.” The Coast Guard itself swooned in an official report that the detailing, “such as the period exterior door and window moldings, classical columns, balustrades, gable brackets and ironwork, is especially fine.”

(There are some nice photos of the building at this website. The shots were taken after completion of a roof-replacement project that also required strict historical accuracy.)

O’Brien explained that the California State Historic Preservation Office demanded historical accuracy with the renovation project.

“The station, a landmark in the region, required specialized materials to maintain its unique architectural profile,” he explained in an email. “The prime contractor faced difficulties in sourcing a supplier capable of meeting these exacting standards.”

Custom-built windows and doors were expected to arrive in March but not delivered to the site until October.

“Despite this setback, the contractor has done excellent work on the project,” O’Brien said. “The renovation has been comprehensive, ensuring the building is fully restored to serve the needs of the Coast Guard while honoring its storied past.”

The Coast Guard Air Station located at the Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville was commissioned in 1977. However, the Life-Saving Station on the peninsula remains an active part of the agency’s search-and-rescue infrastructure, housing a 47-foot lifeboat, among other resources.