 The Alcatraz Lighthouse was the first to be completed in July 1853, making it the oldest major navigational light on the West Coast.However, the foundation for building the light house had begun much before the equipment reached San Francisco.In the original order placed for supply of the equipment Argand lamps and parabolic reflectors had been specified as the Fresnel lens, created by Augustin Fresnel of France in 1822 was considered very costly at that time.