Diamond Head Lighthouse, Honolulu

The Diamond Head Lighthouse is located on Oahu, at the end of Diamond Head Road. The original lighthouse was built in 1899, but the current one was constructed nearly 20 years later, in 1918. Despite being reconstructed, the current lighthouse still uses the ironwork and Fresnel lens from the original lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built to help warn ships away from the reefs near Waikiki beach. In 1893, the steamship Miowera ran aground on the reef. All of the passengers and cargo were saved, but it took several weeks for the ship itself to be freed. Shortly afterward, in 1897, the China ran aground near the same area. At this point, it was decided that a lighthouse was needed to help prevent damage to more ships.

The original lighthouse was made of an open iron framework. This created some concerns for the stability of the structure, so the builders chose to reinforce it by enclosing it in native coral rock. Unfortunately, the rock began to show signs of structural damage in 1917. When it was rebuilt a year later, the original ironwork was preserved, while the coral rock was replaced with reinforced concrete for added stability.

Tip:
While the lighthouse is not open to the public, you can get great photos even without going down to the beach.