If you’ve only experienced the Point Fermin Lighthouse casually by walking by the gardens and manicured property, you cannot help but notice the sense of care about the place.
The flowers alone hug the perimeter of the white picket fence in spirited allegiance to all who look after them. The exterior of the star resident is well-maintained, and if a window or two is open, you might hear the excited recounting of lighthouse stories by volunteers.
The ongoing efforts of the volunteers and members (there is a distinction – see “Passing the Torch,” an article about volunteers at the Point Fermin Lighthouse) of the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society have been invaluable in keeping this beacon of history alive.
Built in 1874 after a 20-year delay, the Point Fermin Lighthouse was erected due to the efforts of Phineas Banning and several local businessmen, who petitioned federal officials to build a lighthouse on the point to welcome ships coming into what is now L.A. Harbor. The lighthouse’s 4th order Fresnel lens and oil lantern were first lit on December 15, 1874.
Volunteers have been part of the lighthouse’s story for decades. For the sake of brevity, we will focus on the early 1970s, when two legendary San Pedrans led the effort to restore the Point Fermin Lighthouse and, later, locate the lost Fresnel lens.
In 1972, after years of fading glory, the lighthouse came close to demolition when the late Bill Olesen, a San Pedro historian and retired boat builder (for Wilmington Boat Works), and celebrated San Pedran, the late John Olguin, decided to form the Point Fermin Lighthouse Committee (now the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society) to help restore the lighthouse to its former glory.
There were letters of appeal to local government officials and stakeholders for assistance and funds. The Coast Guard and the City of L.A.’s Recreation and Parks Department were also involved.
The lighthouse’s restoration was in line with rediscovered blueprints. Oleson and Olguin were intent on preparing the lighthouse for its 1974 centennial celebration. This included dismantling the Radar Housing (the “Henhouse”), a military observation deck used during World War II.
Olesen said at the time, “The exterior restoration was completed about 15 minutes before the centennial celebration, which was held on November 2, 1974. The festivities included a parade, a giant birthday cake, and children’s craft projects.” Also, in 1974, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Soon after, Olesen and Olguin began the quest for the long-lost 4th order Fresnel lens. According to the PFLHS, this was not the original lens from 1874, but one that replaced it in 1912.
The orphaned Fresnel lens had been on display on the Santa Monica Pier and then found its way to a Malibu real estate office, of all places. Once Olesen and Olguin went to see the lens, the process of getting it back was slowed by a reluctance to let go of this possible historical artifact and the need to prove its provenance.
Along this journey, Huell Howser, the popular host of California’s Gold with Huell Howser on PBS, got involved in the efforts to return the lens to the lighthouse.
According to lighthouse records, when Fresnel lens expert Jim Woodward compared photographs of the 1912 lens with photos of the lens in the Malibu real estate office, he confirmed that the alignment of “every screw slot was exactly the same,” thus the “fingerprint” of the original lens was confirmed.
On December 16, 2006, a homecoming celebration was held at the lighthouse for the return of the original 4th order Fresnel lens that had been lost after removal in 1941.
At the time, Point Fermin Lighthouse historic site curator Kristen Heather said, “It’s surrealistic to see the lens back in the house. It is almost like a dream that you never thought would happen.”
Referring to the blueprints, Olesen, Olguin, and their team restored the original lamp room. They chose to station the Fresnel lens in a prominent spot on the ground floor since it was no longer actively used, where it still sits today.
“The 150th anniversary of the Point Fermin Lighthouse is not only a celebration of a cherished historical landmark — one of the oldest buildings in Southern California — but a testament to the commitment of our community to preserving our maritime heritage,” says L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I like to think that the society’s founders, John Olguin and Bill Olesen, are smiling down on the lighthouse and would be so proud of the labor of love that Martha Austin McKinzie and the society have carried on.”
In 2002, the lighthouse went through significant renovations so that, in 2003, it could open to the public with new interpretive exhibits and tours.
In addition to acquiring the Fresnel lens, the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society was eager to add more life to the interior. Volunteer Mary Lou Fourtane led the push to furnish the various rooms with period antiques.
While some volunteers didn’t mind giving tours in empty rooms, Fourtane finally had had enough. Martha Austin McKinzie, current president of the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society, remembers Fourtane yelling in frustration, “I refuse to do any more tours until we can start getting furnishings in the house!”
McKinzie’s grandparents, Will and Martha Austin, were lighthouse keepers at Point Fermin from 1917 to 1925. Their daughters, Thelma and Juanita, took over for a few years after their parents died. Her family members were the last keepers before the City of L.A. took over operations in 1927.
Today, the society has furnished each room as it might have looked during a particular keeper’s time at the lighthouse.
In 2018, after a six-year campaign, the deed to the lighthouse officially transferred ownership from the U.S. Coast Guard to the City of Los Angeles, which included a “Keys to the Deed” ceremony.
To honor the lighthouse’s 150th anniversary, the society has planned a special event for each month in 2024, with the big Grand Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, August 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the lighthouse.
Volunteer Rosie Knight, 36, started working with the PFLHS four years ago after attending a Tea by the Sea event. She loves living within walking distance of the light.
“The lighthouse is in a beautiful location,” she says with enthusiasm, “and I think it’s important to [preserve] old buildings, especially with its eclectic history of women lighthouse keepers.” spt
For more information on the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society, visit pflhs.org.