Last updated: March 1, 2023
Place
New Point Loma Lighthouse
Quick Facts
Location:
Point Loma, San Diego, CA
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
US Coast Guard
On March 23, 1891, the New Point Loma Lighthouse was lit for the first time. This new lighthouse has much in common with its predecessor, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Firstly, the initial keeper of the light was Robert Israel who had served for 18 years at the old lighthouse. Secondly, it was extremely close to the old lighthouse and also used a third order Fresnel lens powered by kerosene. This lens, which was ruby-colored was considered so beautiful that its creator entered it in the Paris Exhibition of 1889 where it won a gold medal for its beauty and quality.One major difference, however, was its location. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is located on a cliff 400 feet above the water. In the marine atmosphere, that often meant that fog and clouds would interfere with the light from the lighthouse itself reaching the ships out at sea. This new location would prevent any similar functionality issues.
While the citizens of San Diego celebrated its first lighting on February 3, 1891, lighthouse keeper Robert Israel nursed a grudge. His son and the son of the assistant lighthouse keeper had accidentally wrecked the boat that the lighthouse service provided for them several years earlier and the lighthouse service had deducted its cost from his salary. Israel felt that this was unjust and despite several official protests, he was ignored. Within the first year of the lighthouse’s opening, Israel was no longer regularly cleaning the lens or the grounds of the lighthouse and within a year of opening he quit after nearly 20 years attending to lighthouses in Point Loma.
The lighthouse knew many changes in appearance and function over the years. In 1894, it was painted white (it was originally brown), a fog warning was added bin 1913, and in 1933 its lamp was changed to electricity and its red glass was removed. In 1939, the US Coast Guard took over all lighthouses and all keepers became members of the military. In 1973, the job of keeper was made unnecessary through automation and in 1997 the old Fresnel lens stopped rotating and was replaced by a new beacon.The New Point Loma Lighthouse is now a residential area for Coast Guard officers and it is off limit for public visitation. Its original Fresnel lens, however, is observable at our park in the lighthouse history exhibits in the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers Quarters. You can also see it in the film ‘Top Gun’ where it served as the location for a scene where Tom Cruise’s character, Maverick, went to meet with his mentor, Viper, who lived in one of the homes on its grounds.
While the citizens of San Diego celebrated its first lighting on February 3, 1891, lighthouse keeper Robert Israel nursed a grudge. His son and the son of the assistant lighthouse keeper had accidentally wrecked the boat that the lighthouse service provided for them several years earlier and the lighthouse service had deducted its cost from his salary. Israel felt that this was unjust and despite several official protests, he was ignored. Within the first year of the lighthouse’s opening, Israel was no longer regularly cleaning the lens or the grounds of the lighthouse and within a year of opening he quit after nearly 20 years attending to lighthouses in Point Loma.
The lighthouse knew many changes in appearance and function over the years. In 1894, it was painted white (it was originally brown), a fog warning was added bin 1913, and in 1933 its lamp was changed to electricity and its red glass was removed. In 1939, the US Coast Guard took over all lighthouses and all keepers became members of the military. In 1973, the job of keeper was made unnecessary through automation and in 1997 the old Fresnel lens stopped rotating and was replaced by a new beacon.The New Point Loma Lighthouse is now a residential area for Coast Guard officers and it is off limit for public visitation. Its original Fresnel lens, however, is observable at our park in the lighthouse history exhibits in the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers Quarters. You can also see it in the film ‘Top Gun’ where it served as the location for a scene where Tom Cruise’s character, Maverick, went to meet with his mentor, Viper, who lived in one of the homes on its grounds.