Built in 1873 as an aid to mariners in the San Pablo/San Francisco Bays, the East Brother Light station is the oldest lighthouse still operating in its original configuration. When the beacon and fog signal were automated in 1969, the buildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were boarded up and the island was deserted for a decade. In the late ‘70s, the facility was taken over by a non-profit under license from the US Coast Guard.
Interactive Resources, Inc. designed restoration plans for the entire island complex, returning it to its turn-of-the-century appearance. This project received awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Coast Guard. Since 1980, the light house has operated as a beautifully restored California Victorian bed & breakfast Inn.
Sustainable design measures include: solar water heating; photovoltaics for charging for generators and pump batteries; stored rainwater in cisterns; salt water is used for toilets; and a sand filter systems for wastewater treatment.