Existing comment:
Point Loma -- The Early Years:
The old lighthouse you are approaching protected sailors off the San Diego Coast for 36 years, from 1855 to 1891. It was a lonely outpost on a barren headland. In January 2004, the National Park Service completed restoration of the grounds of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse to resemble their historic appearance, when the lighthouse was operational. The first lighthouse keepers lived in the windblown world of scrubby chaparral, rocks, and fog. San Diego was more than 10 miles (16km) away via a wagon road that climbed the spine of the peninsula. The lightkeepers had to haul in firewood, water, and supplied by wagon, fighting potholes and ruts much of the way.
Despite the ruggedness of the journey, the view was rewarding, and the lighthouse grounds became a destination for weekend excursions. Just as they do today, visitors enjoyed the fine view of the harbor and the ocean. |