Point Loma in San Diego in San Diego County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Point Loma Lighthouse
(1855-1891)
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 18, 2026
1. Point Loma Lighthouse Marker
San Diego's first lighthouse guided ships along the coast and marked the entrance to the harbor for over 30 years. A captain reported seeing the light from as far as 39 miles (63km). For many years it was the highest coastal light in the country over 400 feet above sea level (120m) so high that fog and low clouds often made it difficult to see. A new lighthouse was built at a lower elevation in 1891.
[photo captions:]
L. Sautter & Co. of Paris manufactured the third-order Fresnel lens. Its many circular elements directed a concentrated plane of light toward the horizon.
An oil lamp with three concentric wicks provided a flame rated at 158 candle power.
The primary duty of the lightkeeper and his assistant was to keep the lantern burning brightly and steadily from sundown to sunrise. They polished the lens, trimmed the wicks, refueled the lamp, and kept the plate glass windows and metalwork of the lantern spotless.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 32° 40.357′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Peninsular Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old Point Loma Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); Point Loma - The Early Years (here, next to this marker); The Civilian Conservation Corps (within shouting distance of this marker); High and Dry (within shouting distance
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2015
2. Point Loma Lighthouse Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. The Bayside Trail (was a few steps from this marker); Army Radio Station (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been reported to have been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. Point Loma (Old) Lighthouse. Lighthouse Friends website entry:
Six of the original eight west coast lighthouses, including Point Loma Lighthouse, were built in the cape cod style, consisting of a one-and-a-half story dwelling with a central, spiral staircase leading up the tower to the lantern room perched atop the structure. On November 15, 1855 the wicks of the lamp were lit, and the light from a third-order Fresnel lens shown out to sea for the first time, making Point Loma Lighthouse the fifth lighthouse activated on the west coast. (Submitted on October 7, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Old Point Loma Lighthouse.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2015
3. Point Loma Lighthouse and Markers
With the outbreak of World War II in 1941, the lighthouse was painted camouflage green and was used as a signal tower to direct ships into San Diego Harbor. Today the lighthouse is no longer in service but stands as a landmark and museum, the centerpiece of the Cabrillo National Monument. (Submitted on October 7, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. The Fresnel Lens Makers: Louis Sautter. U.S. Lighthouse Societys The Keepers Log PDF:
Louis Sautter completed engineering school at the Central School of Arts and Manufactures in 1846, and entered the navigation aids business in 1852. Sautters first lens sent to America was the third-order lens made for Alcatraz Island, California in 1853. The American Lighthouse Board split its lens purchases roughly fifty-fifty between Henry-Lepaute and Louis Sautter during the main conversion to Fresnel lenses in the years 1853 through 1860. (Submitted on October 7, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 18, 2026
4. Point Loma Lighthouse and Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2015
5. Point Loma Lighthouse
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2015
6. Point Loma Lighthouse
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2015
7. Entrance to San Diego Bay
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 389 times since then and 53 times this year. Last updated on April 1, 2026, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Photos: 1. submitted on March 19, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2, 3. submitted on October 7, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on March 19, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 7, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
