 Point Fermin Light | |
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| Location |
Point Fermin San Pedro, Los Angeles California United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°42′20″N 118°17′37″W / 33.705420°N 118.293649°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1874 |
| Foundation | brick basement |
| Construction | wooden tower (first) metal pole (current) |
| Height | 30 feet (9.1 m) (first) |
| Shape | square tower with balcony and lantern (first) pole with light (current) |
| Markings | white tower, grey trim (first) |
| Operator | Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks [1] [2] |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place
 |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1874 |
| Deactivated | 1942 |
| Focal height | 120 feet (37 m) (current) |
| Lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Characteristic | Fl W 10s. (Metal pole) |
Point Fermin Lighthouse | |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000234 |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1972 |
Point Fermin Light is a lighthouse on Point Fermin in San Pedro, California.
History
The lighthouse was built in 1874 with lumber from California redwoods. [2] It was designed by Paul J. Pelz who also designed Point Fermin's sister stations, East Brother Island Light in Richmond, California, Mare Island Light, in Carquinez Strait, California (demolished in the 1930s), Point Hueneme Light in California (replaced in 1940), Hereford Inlet Light in North Wildwood, New Jersey, and Point Adams Light in Washington State (burned down by the Lighthouse Service in 1912), all in essentially the same style. In 1941, the light was extinguished due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. There was fear that the light would serve as a beacon for enemy planes and ships. [2] The original fourth order Fresnel lens was removed in 1942. The lighthouse was saved from demolition in 1972 and added to the National Register of Historic Places. [3] The light fell into disuse and disrepair and the lantern room and gallery were removed. The site was refurbished in 1974 including a new lantern room and gallery were built by local preservationists in 1974. [2] A wood replica lantern was also installed.
The original Fresnel lens from the lighthouse, removed in the 1940s, had been missing for decades. After being found and positively identified, on November 13, 2006, the lens was relocated to a display in the restored lighthouse museum from the real estate office of Louis Busch in Malibu, California, where it had been on display. [4]
In June 2011, the General Services Administration made the Point Fermin Light (along with 11 others) available at no cost to public organizations willing to preserve them. [5] [6] [7] The restored site was open to the public as the Point Fermin Lighthouse Historic Site and Museum.
In popular culture
The Point Fermin lighthouse has featured as a filming location in several television series productions. From 1977 to 1978, in four television films and the television series of Man from Atlantis, the lighthouse was used to represent the fictional 'The Foundation for Oceanic Research' headquarters building for the TV series. [8] In 1979, Point Fermin and the lighthouse featured in the first-season episode of the television series Hart to Hart, in "Hit Jennifer Hart". [9] In 1986, the lighthouse appeared in a second-season episode of Amazing Stories, in "Magic Saturday". In 1988, the lighthouse was featured in the fifth-season episode of Murder, She Wrote, in 'Mr. Penroy's Vacation'. [10] The lighthouse also featured in two episodes of MacGyver: "Flames End" and "D.O.A.: MacGyver". [11]
In 1999, the lighthouse was featured as the Griffin residence in Duwayne Dunham's 1999 made-for-television film The Thirteenth Year.
In 2007, the lighthouse is featured in the Huell Howser "Visiting" television series, in the documentary episode 'Pt. Fermin Lighthouse Lens' in the interview series 'Visiting... with Huell Howser. [12] [13]
See also
- List of lighthouses in the United States
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the Harbor area
References
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Central and Southern California". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
- ^ a b c d "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: California". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. 2009-08-08. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2010-07-30. Point Fermin Light | Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society volunteer.
- ^ "Asset Metadata: Point Fermin Lighthouse". National Park Service.
- ^ "Point Fermin Lighthouse". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- ^ "For sale: Waterfront property; cozy, great views, plenty of light, needs TLC". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ Beatty, MaryAnne. "GSA Making 12 Historic Lighthouses Available at No Cost to Public Organizations Willing to Preserve Them". GSA Website. US General Services Administration. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ Littlejohn, Donna (January 20, 2015). "City of Los Angeles wins bid to operate historic Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro". Daily Breeze. Torrance, CA.
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075533/locations [ user-generated source]
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0597245/locations [ user-generated source]
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0653554/locations [ user-generated source]
- ^ "MacGyver Online: Filming Locations". MacGyver Online. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7694328/?ref_=ttep_ep17 [ user-generated source]
- ^ "Point Fermin Lighthouse – Visiting (1517) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
External links
- Point Fermin Lighthouse Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine official site
- Point Fermin Park, City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks
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