A group of pharologists strive to restore Point Sur Lighthouse’s iconic feature.

Katie Rodriguez here, with a newfound appreciation for people’s fascination with lighthouses.

Rugged seas. Isolated places. Dense fog, a bright beacon of light beaming from the tower. They paint a mysterious, often beautiful and sometimes eerie scene; lonely yet magical. 

As it turns out, there’s actually a word for the person who studies lighthouses, signal lights, and their construction: pharologist (someone who studies pharology).

We have a couple of local lighthouses here in Monterey County, one of which—Point Sur Lighthouse—is the focus of my cover story in this week’s paper. I write about a particular group of pharologists, the Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers (along with their State Parks counterparts), and their efforts to return a 4,000-pound Fresnel lens to the lighthouse tower.

Something cool: Each lighthouse has its own lighthouse characteristic, meaning it's identified by a specific pattern of flashes that differs from lighthouse to lighthouse. 

Of course, while researching this story, I got the rundown on the history of lighthouses—their purpose of keeping ships from crashing into shore dwindling over time as technology advanced.

I also got a taste of the lore that surrounds them—think Robert Eggers' 2019 film The Lighthouse, or the fact that Point Sur Lighthouse was featured in an episode of Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. 

Another fun fact: None of the volunteers I spoke with felt the lighthouse was particularly haunted. (If you’ve had a different experience, I welcome your emails.)

The Fresnel lens that once lit this tower has a complicated history; after lighthouses became less essential, the lens remained at a deteriorating Point Sur suffering from deferred maintenance in the '70s. It was then passed between various locations that struggled to care for it, then eventually landed in storage.

Once removed from the lighthouse, it becomes an artifact.

And an expensive one. This particular lens, the biggest size they come in, is a massive, million-dollar piece of equipment. For the last decade, this group has assisted with renovating the bridges leading to the top of Point Sur, restoring butterfly habitat around the premises, making sure the lighthouse tower is climate controlled, seismically retrofitted and more.

My story explores the significance of this effort—and the dedication of the Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers in returning the lens to where it belongs. 

Grab your coffee, give it a read and, pharologists ––let me know your favorite lighthouse.