Point Fermin Lighthouse (Los Angeles, California)

 lighthouse, historic landmark

807 West Paseo Del Mar
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 241-0684
www.pointferminlighthouse.org/

In 1854, Phineas Banning petitioned the US Congress to put a lighthouse at San Pedro because of the steady increase of shipping traffic. In 1874 the US Government contructed the lighthouse at Point Fermin on 3 acres of land donated by Jose Diego Sepulveda. Point Fermin was named after Padre Fermin Lasuen, the founder of several Franciscan missions in California. O. B. Shaw of San Francisco was the building contractor who erected the Victorian/Railway Gothic style structure. It originally had a wick lamp with a Fresnel-type lense that generated 2100 candlepower that could be visible from 13 miles.

The lighthouse was officially activated on December 15, 1874 and served faithfully until December 7, 1941. The first lighthouse keeper was a young woman named, Mary L. Smith, who lived here with her sister Helen for 8 years. A succession of keepers followed until the City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation took over operations in 1927 in exchange for the 3 acres to be used as a park.

The light was upgraded in 1898 to a petroleum vapor incandescent lamp with 6600 candlepower and visible of 18 miles. In 1925, a powerful electric light and a revolving lense increased the range to 22 miles, which could be seen from Catalina.
The lighthouse is the centerpiece of Point Fermin Park. It is currently undergoing restoration and has a chain link fence around the perimeter. It is located at the southern terminus of Gaffey Street (at Paseo del Mar) in San Pedro.

www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=97