Los Angeles Harbor Light, Lighthouse at San Pedro Breakwater, Los Angeles Harbor, California.
Los Angeles Harbor Light is a cylindrical concrete tower on the San Pedro Breakwater painted white with vertical black stripes. The structure stands approximately 69 feet tall and marks the harbor entrance with an automated beacon that operates continuously.
In 1907 the Lighthouse Board judged the San Pedro Breakwater hazardous in fog and darkness. Architect Edward Woodruff designed a steel-reinforced concrete tower, built on a concrete block at the end of the roughly 3 km breakwater, which was filled with rocks brought from Santa Catalina Island; construction finished in 1913. A five-day storm soon after tested it, and the concrete base settled, leaving the tower leaning slightly toward shore.
The lighthouse serves as a landmark that mariners recognize when entering one of the world's busiest shipping ports. Its presence helps create a sense of order and safety in the busy harbor traffic.
The lighthouse is located on the San Pedro Breakwater and is visible from certain public areas of the harbor. The best way to view the structure is from the nearby waterfront or by taking a harbor tour that passes the breakwater.
Sailors nicknamed it "Moaning Maggie" for the two-tone foghorn that sounded until 1959, when a sharper signal replaced it. The green light helps mariners tell the harbour entrance apart from the surrounding city lights.
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