Piedras Blancas rests on a low point jutting out to sea between Point Conception and Point Piños. Material for its construction arrived in April of 1874. The tower would measure 115 feet when completed. The base walls were 5 feet thick and tapered down to 18 inches at the top. It took almost the entire $75,000 budget to complete just the tower.

The first order fresnel lens was constructed in 1872. It weighed several tons and yet was easily rotated on chariot wheels. The lens rotated with the aid of a clockworks device that used heavy weights. It had to be "wound" every hour to rotate the lens. The lens was chipped in 1880 when large birds flew into the lantern and shattered the glass.

On February 15, 1875, the 5 wicks in the first order fresnel lens were lit for the first time.

Piedras Blancas had several different keepers. One of the most notable was Norman Leo Francis. Norman reported that to become a lighthouse keeper you had to take several tests. The tests consisted of lifting two sacks of coal at the same time onto a platform, trimming a wick, and saw a square cut in a 1 x 12 inch board. Son, Norman came to the lighthouse with his family as a child. He reported that William Randolph Hearst would hire the high school students, including himself, to work at the castle.

In 1939, the Coast Guard took over the management of the lighthouse. Norman Leo Francis continued on until 1948. In 1949, a storm severly damaged the lantern room. The Coast Guard removed the lantern and the lens and capped off the top of the tower. Today a rotating aero beacon sits where the first order lens once stood. The light was fully automated in 1975. For a brief time the lens was left in pieces at the foot of the tower. The Lions Club of Cambria rescued the lens. The lens was transported to Cambria and put on outdoor display near the Vetrans' Hall. In 1990, Norman Francis, the son, began a campaign to restore the lens. The Coast Guard personnel took the lens appart and transported it to Monterey for restoration. One month after the lens was sent to Monterey, Norman passed away.

The Friends of Piedras Blancas Light built a lantern room replica to protect the lens. The lens is fully restored and can be seen in Cambria on Main Street near the Pinedarado Grounds. The lighthouse itself is closed to the public. It can be seen in the distance from Highway 1 - usually wrapped in fog.

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