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Point Fermin Light

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Coordinates: 33°42′20″N 118°17′37″W / 33.705420°N 118.293649°W / 33.705420; -118.293649
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Point Fermin Light
Point Fermin Light
Map
LocationPoint Fermin
San Pedro, Los Angeles
California
United States
Coordinates33°42′20″N 118°17′37″W / 33.705420°N 118.293649°W / 33.705420; -118.293649
Tower
Constructed1874
Foundationbrick basement
Constructionwooden tower (first)
metal pole (current)
Height30 feet (9.1 m) (first)
Shapesquare tower with balcony and lantern (first)
pole with light (current)
Markingswhite tower, grey trim (first)
OperatorLos Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks[1] [2]
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1874
Deactivated1942
Focal height120 feet (37 m) (current)
LensFourth order Fresnel lens
CharacteristicFl W 10s. (Metal pole)
Point Fermin Lighthouse
NRHP reference No.72000234
Added to NRHPJune 13, 1972

Point Fermin Light is a lighthouse on Point Fermin in San Pedro, California.

History

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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.

U.S. Coast Guard Archive

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.

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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]

The lighthouse heavily inspired the El Gordo Lighthouse, which appears in the 2013 videogame Grand Theft Auto V.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Asset Metadata: Point Fermin Lighthouse". National Park Service.
  4. ^ "Point Fermin Lighthouse". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Littlejohn, Donna (January 20, 2015). "City of Los Angeles wins bid to operate historic Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro". Daily Breeze. Torrance, CA.
  8. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075533/locations [user-generated source]
  9. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0597245/locations [user-generated source]
  10. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0653554/locations [user-generated source]
  11. ^ "MacGyver Online: Filming Locations". MacGyver Online. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  12. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7694328/?ref_=ttep_ep17 [user-generated source]
  13. ^ "Point Fermin Lighthouse – Visiting (1517) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
  14. ^ Mitra, Ritwik; Painter, Ben (May 19, 2024). "GTA 5 Locations That Are Based On Real-Life". Game Rant.
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