Old Point Loma California

Well, actually it's "Point Loma". The new one, built down on the bottom of the hill is "New Point Loma".

Had a chance to visit the old girl Sunday 12/15/02.

That's a neat looking lighthouse. Is the new one nice like this, or one of those automated, steel monstrosities?

I missed out taking a great sunset photo of the New Point Loma light by about 5 minutes.

It's a skeleton tower, but beautiful. HL made it for the 1997 Reunion in San Diego.

Nice cloud formations! Who are those two people behind the fence and one on the stairs?

New Point Loma was activated in 1891.... so it's not real new!!

New Point Loma

The keeper, his wife and one of his children.

OK, so now I see why you didn't chase them!

Great picture John. Is that a Fresnel in the tower? Is this light still active? Hope you enjoyed your trip out to the West Coast.

Bert

That is a beautifully restored first order Fresnel. I believe some of the work on the restoration was handled by the Southern California Harbour Lights Collectors Club (someone help me out here.)

It's kind-of active. It has a low power bulb that's turned on in the evening.

Yep, and it is still an active aid to navigation doing it's job as it has done for over a 100 years.

The new tower is pretty nice looking. I'm glad to see that the designers kept that in mind when they built it.
I wish that was the case with the Grand Traverse light in Michigan. When they retired that one, they erected a sterile, utilitarian tower out on the beach. Luckily the original lighthouse has been preserved and is a beautiful museum. If you're ever in the area, it's well worth the visit for a lighthouse lover.

Thanks for the info, John. I thought it looked like a fresnel but wasn't sure. It's great to see pictures of the fresnel lenses. I've never seen one in the tower of an actual lighthouse that I was able to climb. Would love to see one. Not too many left here in New England.

ON that utility tower, I agree. They just can't take the place of a lighthouse no matter how functional they are!

Bert

Bert,

Come on down to NJ in the Spring.

If you climb Sandy Hook you can get up close to a working Fresnel Lens.

Remember, please don't touch. Everytime I said that on a tour i could then see all those people who now had it in their mind to touch it.

The Lighthouse is closed for tours until sometime in April. Unless things change due to the Restoration of the Keeper's house it should reopen for tours in April on Sat & Sun from around Noon to 4:30. Come early to be sure you get a spot.

Only 8 on a tour. The Volunteers will be set up in the Garage across from the Keeper's House while the Restoration/ Renovation work is going on.

Dennis

John,

Love the sky in the pic. Neat clouds. Hard not to get a nice pic of Point Loma.

The lens in the tower of the original Point Loma is a third order, from the Mile Rocks light outside San Francisco.

Dave

I guess the moral to this story is if the Lighthouse Service had the technology in the 1800s we wouldn't have had any lighthouses, keepers, or a service. Just a bunch of old rusty utility towers, and no wackos like us trying to save them.

What could have been......

On the other side, Sean, the Fresnel technology was developed in the 1820's, some 180 or so years ago. Still hasn't really been significantly improved. The theory and design is used in many things we use each day, including car headlights.

If they had built a bunch of junky towers, they would have a better chance of still being around than a new one would. They used real steel in those days.

Dave

Dennis,

Thanks for that information. I will keep that in mind, as we usually start taking trips in May.

Bert

Bert,

I'll post the specific info as soon as I get it- if Shirin doesn't beat me to it.

Dennis

Beautiful photo, John! I LOVE the sky!

The lovely Old Point Loma sits high on a ridge above San Diego ahrbor and the Pacific
in the Cabrillo National Monument not all that far fron the airport. It's nice drive
through an old neighborhood, several Navy facilities and the Ft Rosecrans National
Cemetary. The old light overlooks the new one which was built because the old was
often fogged in. There have always been lots of visitors when I was there because the
views are spectacular.