Carrying a Torch for Authenticity on Point Loma

Lori Graham can see Robert Israel, the Point Loma lighthouse keeper, polishing the Fresnel lens, trimming the wicks, refueling the lamps and spit-shining the lantern’s metal rim.

Over the past year, Graham has read Israel’s aged letters late into the night to learn about his solitary duty of keeping the lantern burning brightly and steadily from sunset to sunrise. She has done this to understand how he lived, to discover what his home was like.

That’s important because Graham must breathe life back into San Diego’s historic lighthouse and Israel’s home--a place that has been dead for more than a hundred years.

‘So That’s What It Was Like’

Graham, an associate professor of interior design at Palomar College, was recruited to restore the inside of the lighthouse to its appearance of the 1870s, when Israel clambered up and down its spiral stairs.

“When I’m done, I want the people who visit here to say, ‘Oh, look at this. . . . So this was what it was like to live here back then,’ ” Graham said.

Graham is hunting down antiques, from fire screens to silverware. For example, she is searching for a partly completed quilt from the late 1800s to exhibit women’s work of that era.

“I would love to be able to put a quilt that’s not finished and put it in a basket next to (Israel’s wife’s) chair in the living room,” Graham said. “I want them to think it’s so real .”

Achieving authenticity has been the National Park Service’s philosophy since the 1960s, said Gary Cummins, superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument, where the Cape Cod-style lighthouse stands. Following that philosophy, Cummins recruited Graham and a former student of hers, Kathryn Smith, for the time-consuming endeavor.

The lighthouse, which began operating in 1855, guiding ships along the coast and marking the entrance to San Diego’s harbor for 36 years, has several exhibits, and its rooms are decorated, but not with historical accuracy.

Trying to Do Better

“A lot of care went into decorating the rooms, but we didn’t have an expert to guide what we were doing,” Cummins said. “With new information and Lori’s help, we know we can do better.”

The need for authenticity was fortified when the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 was passed, which called for the protection and preservation of historic sites in their original form. The act has set the guidelines for how the interior and exterior of historic sites should be shaped, Cummins said.

“For example, take a look around here,” Cummins said, sweeping his arm to encompass the surrounding terrain, which has been sculpted with lush gardens. “Right now, people who come here fall in love and wish they had a home here. But this isn’t how it really looked. In fact, this was a lonely, isolated, barren spot.

“I’m not criticizing what was done in the past,” Cummins said. “Back then the philosophy (of the National Park Services) was, ‘Let’s make it look nice, but let’s not worry about being accurate.’ Now things are different.”

He and Graham hope the effort will give the park’s visitors--nearly 1.7 million a year--a true impression of life in the late 1800s.

Graham and former pupil Smith began the laborious task by rummaging through archives, personal letters and documents to find clues as to how the rooms had been decorated. A list of needed items, prepared by Graham, has been forwarded to the park service’s Western regional office in San Francisco.

Changes Require Approval

According to Cummins, any change in the lighthouse must be approved by the region’s historic preservation office. If a change is not approved, a state historical preservation officer will be called for advice. And if a change continues to be disputed, the matter will be taken for a final ruling to the Advisory Council on Historical Preservation, whose members are appointed by the President.

Graham and Cummins hope to avoid such bureaucratic hassles. But approval of the list doesn’t mean Graham’s task becomes easier. For then she has to find the antique items.

“I’m thinking about sending a list of the items I need to antique dealers,” Graham said. “But I’m worried about that approach. If the dealers know I’m looking for something in particular, they’ll boost the prices. Antique dealers can be ruthless.”

And, with a limited budget, Graham can’t afford to negotiate with greedy dealers. According to Cummins, the National Park Service--with its own fiscal problems--cannot provide funds to improve one of its own sites.

Cummins said the Cabrillo Historical Assn. is providing $2,000 a year for the project. The private, nonprofit group operates the park’s bookstore and other visitor facilities.

“It’s not much money, but that’s all we can afford,” Cummins said. “I would like to have a full-time staffer doing this for us. But that’s out of the question. The only reason why we can do this at all is because Lori is volunteering her efforts.”

Graham, who is the interior design program director and teaches four classes at Palomar College, has her hands full but has no complaints. An avid antique collector herself, she said the project offers her the opportunity to pursue her hobby with a passion.

“Every time an old building is torn down or in disrepair . . . it hurts,” Graham said. “We’re losing a part of history. I realize this could take me a lifetime, but it’s a way for me to touch history.”