Huntington Beach Fire Control Site No. 12/Searchlight No. 20


Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Huntington Beach Fire Control Site No. 12/Searchlight No. 20
Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles


The former Huntington Beach Fire Control Station #12 is located in the City of Huntington Beach, Orange County, California.
On 6 December 1943, the United States Army acquired a total of 0.85 acres for use of the site: 0.04 acre was obtained from the City of Huntington Beach through letter of permit and 0.81acre was obtained through leases with the following property owners; Leone Pearl Haslam (Lease W04-193-eng-273), Charles F. Potter (Lease W2972-eng-1002) and J. Ed Huston and Harriett Smith (Lease W04-193-eng-873). All leases were terminated in 1950, and the property was reverted to the original owners.
The Huntington Beach Fire Control station #12 site was used to provide fire control data to the following gun emplacements:

Due to the area's low, flat geography, the fire control activities were located in a single tower. The site was also the location of the Harbor Defense of Los Angeles's Searchlight No. 20.
The Army abandoned the property (0.85 acres) when the leases expired in 1950. There is no record of the lease agreements terminating DOD's interest in the subject property and, therefore, it has not been established whether there were any restoration provisions, recapture clauses or restrictions in the lease cancellations. Most of the former fire control station (0.68 acres) is located on the corner of 10th Street and Coast Highway.
Source: Los Angeles District, US Army Corps of Engineers


Report of Completed Works


Source: Coast Defense Study Group






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