Beginnings of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse
The year was 1855. It had been over 200 years since Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived in San Diego. Since that time, sailors had been at the mercy of poor navigation charts and the California coast’s notorious fog. But in 1855, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (which was not considered old at that point, right?) went into operation.
The first lighthouse keepers and their assistants lived on the windblown point surrounded by nothing more than scrubby chaparral, rocks, and fog. San Diego was ten miles away by a dirt road meant wagons. The lighthouse keepers hauled in their own firewood, water, and supplies. (If you’ve ever hit a pothole in the road, that’s only the beginning of what those dedicated souls went through.) By the way, there were also plenty of trailblazing women who worked as lighthouse keepers. The first was Sarah Rogan, who worked at the Fort Point, CA lighthouse in 1853.
Basic then, but a classic today
The little lighthouse might be short on architectural style, considering its purpose, but these old lighthouses are a thing of beauty. The giant Fresnel lens lit up the San Diego coastline for over 30 years. According to one of the educational signs, one ship’s captain saw the Old Point Loma Lighthouse beacon from 39 miles away. This was, for many years, the highest coastal light in the country (it’s 400 feet above sea level).
The accommodations were nothing extravagant, and life on the point no doubt felt very hostile at times thanks to the ever-present wind. But on clear days? Wow! The views are incredible. And in those early days, when San Diego wasn’t yet developed, it had to be truly amazing. I hope you enjoy the photos and your virtual trip to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse!
Did you see last week’s entry? You can find it at Cabrillo National Monument. Click here to view more Friday Fotos, or follow me on Instagram.And if you’d like to learn more about the lighthouse, check out this post at Cool San Diego Sights.
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I enjoyed reading the post. However, this time I don’t see the code to put in the rafflecopter entry.
Never mind. It’s OK, I found it.
Sorry you had trouble, Diane! It will be in the same place next week.