As part of a new program of East Brother Light Station to bring young people from local underserved communities to experience the island light station, ten teenagers from Rosie’s Service Corps visited on May 2, 2026.

 

Rosie’s Service Corps (RSC), is a program of the
Rosie the Riveter Trust in partnership with the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, that embodies the values of Service, Connection, and Power. Inspired by Rosie the Riveter’s “We Can Do
It” attitude, RSC engages youth in leadership, career development and community service, as inspiration for what they can do in the future, to enhance their awareness of Richmond’s rich WWII history and to positively contribute to
their communities. RSC emphasizes service as a key component, allowing youth to learn about Richmond’s historical significance while improving neighborhoods and honing new workplace skills. Former participants highlighted community service as crucial for maintaining
connections to peers and the larger community.

 

The RSC participants gathered at Point San Pablo for a short but exciting boat ride to East Brother Island.

 

Figure 1 – Departing Point San Pablo Harbor

 Arriving at noon (low tides precluded an earlier departure), they gathered to have a picnic lunch and get oriented.

 

Figure 2 – Lunch on the "rainshed" where rainwater is collected and stored in the cistern

Figure 3 – Lunch is always important

After lunch, Rosie the Riveter Trust board member and former Richmond mayor Tom Butt gave a history talk, taking East Brother Island from the time of the European settlement
of California up the present. It was the Gold Rush of 1849 that fueled California’s first growth spurt and the need for lighthouses to guide ships into San Francisco Bay and up the
Sacramento River towards the goldfields. The first lighthouses
were built in the 1850s, but additional construction stalled out due to the Civil War.

 

Construction started up again in the 1870s, and East Brother was completed in 1873. It was operated first by the U.S. Lighthouse Service and later the U.S. Coast Guard but abandoned
in 1969 to save money. By that time, more modern aids to navigation had reduced the need for lighthouses.

 

East Brother is one of only two original lighthouses left in San Francisco Bay, and the only one open to the public. The lighthouse is also the oldest building in West Contra
Costa County.

 

The nonprofit East Brother Light Station, Inc. was formed in 1978 and secured a license from the Coast Guard to rehabilitate and maintain the island’s buildings. After a year
of hard work, the island was opened as an inn in 1980 to help pay for ongoing maintenance and other costs, such as insurance. The inn is managed by two innkeepers, and a crew of volunteers performs maintenance on a monthly basis.

 

After the history presentation, the RSC visitors took an in-depth tour of the island, starting with the grounds and learning how sewage is handled in a closed loop wastewater
treatment system that provides treated water for the garden and how 70,000 gallons of rainwater is harvested each winter and stored and treated for use over the dry season.

 

Figure 4 – Edge of the sand filter where wastewater is treated.

We then toured the lighthouse where the kitchen, dining room, parlor, game room and four guest rooms with baths are located. The lighthouse tour ended by climbing up to the tower
where the light is located and out on the Lantern Gallery for a mind-boggling view of the Bay. An extra treat were the hundreds of sailboats with spinnakers flying competing in the Vallejo race, the biggest yacht race of the year.

 

Figure 5 – Checking out a guest room

Figure 6 – he "high point" of the visit — view from the Lantern gallery

Figure 7 – Racing sailboats heading for Vallejo

 Next stop was the Fog Signal Building where 100-year-old generators and compressors are used to blow the diaphones that can be heard ten miles away. All the legacy equipment
remains in working order and was demonstrated. Typically skeptical teenagers didn’t believe it when we handed out sound protective earmuffs, but when the horn blew, they jumped big time.

 

Figure 8 – Giving a tug on the diesel starter engine

Figure 9 – Waiting for the horn to blast

 Finaly, lighthouse keepers/innkeepers Danielle and Rae engaged the visitors with what it is like to be a modern lighthouse keeper and run an inn four night a week.

 

Figure 10 – Lighthouse keeper Rae explaining how to start up the air compressor

Figure 11 – The boat ride back to the harbor

 Our next group in June will be ten girls from the Bay Area Girls Club.

 

Some of the Rosie’s Service Corps visitors wrote about their visit:

 

Harmonie: The boat ride on the water to get there was also amazing. The waves, the fresh breeze, and being surrounded by
open water made the trip feel calm and exciting at the same time. Overall, the visit was memorable, and I’m glad I had the chance to go and explore such a historic place .

 

KiMani: The boat ride across the water was one of my favorite parts feeling the motion of the waves and the cool breeze
made the trip feel like an adventure. It was a special day that I will always remember.

 

Aliyah: Going to the East Brothers light station with Ms. Ivonne was a good experience. I really enjoyed everything even
the ride in the “canoe,” a little scary, but fun at the same time. The lighthouse itself was really interesting, and it was exciting to learn about a historic place in person and near my home that I didn’t know was there. Overall, I had a great time and I’m
very grateful that I got the opportunity to experience it. Thank you

 

Yorddy: I am mainly associated with Rosie the Riveters. This collaborative project was put together by both groups and
was a fascinating experience to say the least. The sheer amount of history that this place holds was astonishing. One highlight that I would share would be about the structural aspect of the place. It still uses many antique machinery, and old ways to operate,
which was eye-opening to me, considering how historically set back it was compared to modern day. I was definitely satisfied with this experience and, although it may be starting, it has a potential to sprout and eventually teach many more about its historical
significance to the Bay Area once again thank you to those who provided this wonderful opportunity into those who volunteered to make this experience possible.