HONOLULU -- The U.S. Coast Guard has decided to demolish the Kauhola Lighthouse on the Big Island's Kohala Coast because of eroding ground.

The lighthouse is in danger of falling off a steep cliff, officials said. (Images: Big Island's Kauhola Lighthouse)

The Coast Guard commissioned a contractor to install a light pole last month to help guide boaters.

The Kauhola Lighthouse sits on a 3.5-acre federal government property north of Hawi in the Kohala area of the Big Island and is in danger of falling down a steep cliff face if no action is taken.

"Obviously, our first choice would be to find a way to help preserve this lighthouse," Lt. Cmdr. Cesar Acosta said. "However, after detailed analysis and close coordination with the state of Hawaii, it has been determined that the most reasonable course of action is removal."

The lighthouse was built in 1933. A contractor is set to remove the lighthouse by the end of the year, USCG officials said.

The state's Historical Preservation Office and Coast Guard decided to keep the lighthouses at Barbers Point and Nawiliwili as examples of lighthouse construction of that era. The organizations decided it would be unsafe to restore or move the lighthouse at Kauhola.

In 1933, the lighthouse was about 85 feet away from the edge of the cliff. Today it is 20 feet away.