Point Vicente Light
Why it's listed
Point Vicente Light is a Coast Guard lighthouse station on a flat cliff-top site of 17.79 acres on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, overlooking the Pacific. The centerpiece is a plain white, five-story, 68-foot reinforced concrete tower holding a third-order Fresnel lens made in Paris in 1914, sent first to Alaska and moved to Point Vicente in 1925. Around it stand a radio room, fog signal house, paint and oil house, three keeper residences arranged in a semicircle, and two garages, nearly all built in 1924 with stucco walls and Spanish red tile roofs. The light, dated 1926, sits about 185 feet above the sea and projects a beam of 1.1 million candlepower. It was described as a landfall light and harbor guide ten miles south of Los Angeles, helping ships reach the Los Angeles Channel light at the port entrance. A local historical society recognized its early-1920s architectural quality, and a ghost legend tied to the lens reflection became part of its lore.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the light was significant for transportation and commerce in the development of the Port of Los Angeles. Located about ten miles south of Los Angeles, it served as a landfall light and the last guide toward the harbor before the Los Angeles Channel light. The form also notes its Fresnel lens and local landmark status for 1920s architectural quality.
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 80000808, listed October 31, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 31, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000808 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Coast Guard radio station was decommissioned on 1 May 1980; the lighthouse is automated, and the 1966 operations building and transit barracks are not meant to be considered. |
| Acreage | 17.8 |
| Coordinates | 33.74252, -118.40958 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 80000808.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7208183
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.