SPECIAL THANKS TO THE POINT FERMIN LIGHTHOUSE SOCIETY

Walking inside the Point Fermin Lighthouse is like walking through a time portal to an era when life was much different. You can smell the history in the air as you walk from room to room, imagining what it must’ve been like to live there without electricity, limited communication, and so far removed that the nearest place to purchase goods was in Wilmington.

When the lighthouse was initially opened to the public for tours in November 2003, there was no furniture in the house. Volunteers were walking visitors through empty rooms. But thanks to the efforts of the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society, they’ve been able to furnish every area with vintage furniture and household goods, heavily focused on the early period from 1874 to 1927 and the keepers of that era, before the City of Los Angeles took over.

The lighthouse is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. It’s closed on major holidays and for special events. Admission is free, but access inside is only through guided tours. Free tours are on a first-come, first-served basis and are offered every hour at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. For more info, visit laparks.org/pflighthouse.

Here’s a look at a few of the rooms inside. To view more of the lighthouse, stop by for a visit!

BACK PARLOR

The back parlor with a display of the Fresnel lens (far right). (photo: John Mattera Photography)

Here, you’ll find a 4th order Fresnel lens on display. This is not the original lens from 1874 but one that replaced it in 1912. The large, green-tinted glass lens sits on a pedestal under a protected enclosure. It went missing after World War II and eventually ended up in a real estate office in Malibu. Through the efforts of the PFLHS, the lens was returned to the lighthouse in 2006.

FRONT PARLOR

The front parlor. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

Tours enter the front door into the front parlor, which envisions the first two keepers, sisters Mary and Ella Smith, having tea in 1874. Traditionally, in a Victorian home, the front parlor was where you received visitors and served guests. However, this was not a typical Victorian home; instead, it was a federally-run lighthouse. Also, every major room in the lighthouse has a coal-burning fireplace. This room also features a vintage pump organ.

KITCHEN

The kitchen. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

In 1874, there was a lot of activity in the kitchen, which explains the front and back doors. Behind the end wall is a large pantry where goods were stored. Considered the “heart of the home,” the kitchen features a turn-of-the-century Majestic coal/wood burning stove (attached to the large chimney), a vintage clothes washing machine and hand wringer, and an icebox from the 1880s, among other interesting items. The lighthouse started receiving running water in 1906 and electricity in 1925.

KEEPER’S OFFICE

The keeper’s office. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

This room was built to be a living room for the second keeper’s family but has traditionally been used as the keeper’s office. 

A desk in the corner displays the lighthouse keeper’s log, where each keeper listed their daily activities. This room also features some of the original glass windows. The society is currently working on a collection of tools that the keepers used, like vintage oil cans.

The uniform in the corner is a reproduction of an official lighthouse keeper’s uniform with a “K” on the epaulet that stood for “keeper.” There are a few keepers’ jackets and caps for children to try on and take photos. spt