Los Angeles Harbor Light Station
Why it's listed
Los Angeles Harbor Light Station sits at the end of the San Pedro Breakwater, about 2.1 miles west of San Pedro. The lighthouse was completed in 1913 at a cost of $35,971.49. It is a five-story concrete tower on a structural steel frame, with an octagonal first story, a twelve-sided second story and cylindrical upper stories. Its lantern is 59 feet above the pier top. The station carries a green light, a fog signal and a radio beacon. Two support buildings stand nearby: a 1942 quarters building and a 1938 oil house. Storms over the years have tilted the tower slightly toward shore, but its braced frame was designed to be realigned as the breakwater settles. The light has marked the harbor entrance since 1913 and has been a witness to the port's growth. Los Angeles Harbor commissioners present new deep-sea ships with plaques that show the lighthouse. No keepers have lived there since 1971.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the light as the harbor's landmark and seamark since 1913, tied to the growth of Los Angeles Harbor into a major man-made port. It also points to the unusual engineering of the tower, which has a braced steel frame that allows for realignment as the breakwater settles. The Park Service reviewer's note describes it as locally significant.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000810, listed October 14, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Los Angeles Harbor (San Pedro Breakwater), Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 14, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000810 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | No keepers have been stationed there since 1971, and the domestic equipment has been removed or is unserviceable. The light, fog signal and radio beacon still operate and are monitored from the shore station at Terminal Island. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.70639, -118.24889 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000810.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q12061372
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.