Point Fermin Lighthouse. Courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith Archive & Library of Congress.
| Lighthouse | Year Built | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Point Fermin Light | 1874* | 807 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro |
| Los Angeles Harbor Light (Angel's Gate Light) | 1913 | San Pedro Harbor |
| Point Vicente Light | 1926 | 31550 Palos Verdes Dr West, Rancho Palos Verdes |
| Long Beach Light (Long Beach Harbor Light) | 1949 | Long Beach Harbor |
| Lion Lighthouse (Lion Lighthouse for Sight) | 2000† | 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach |
* Ceased light operations in 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was feared that its light would be a beacon for enemy aircraft.
† Never an operational lighthouse. Rather, it is a decorative lighthouse provided by the Downtown Long Beach Lions Clubs International to promote their services to blind people.
Los Angeles Harbor Light on a San Pedro breakwater, circa 1939. Courtesy U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Lighthouses & Library of Congress.
Point Vicente Lighthouse in Rancho Palos Verdes. Santa Catalina Island is in the distance in the background. Los Angeles Almanac photo.
The Lion Lighthouse in Long Beach. Los Angeles Almanac photo.
In 1987, the historic Los Angeles Harbor Light (or Angel's Gate Lighthouse), built in 1913, became the first California lighthouse to rely on solar power. Two years later, after complaints about its brightness, it became the first lighthouse in the nation to switch back to a conventional energy source.
The Angeles Gate/Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in the world that emits an emerald-colored beacon.
The Point Fermin Lighthouse, one of the oldest wooden lighthouses on the Pacific Coast, was first operated by Mary L. Smith and her sister. However, because it turned out to be a lonely outpost, with the nearest neighbors five miles away in Wilmington, the sisters gave up the post. Later, during the 1880s, a subsequent keeper, Captain George Shaw, was said to make the lighthouse a party scene.
