Historic Lamppost Project

Bringing Lamppost History Back

Ever thought about the neighborhood’s logo & street signs? Ever noticed the lampposts?

Lampposts create charm, nostalgia — a sense of place and time. Ours are uniquely iconic. Most of our streets no longer have them, though historic photos and plans show they once did (or were always intended to).

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VISION

The vision of BPNA’s Bluff Park Historic Lamppost Project is to remove uncharacteristic modern street lights in the Bluff Park Historic District and install historically appropriate lampposts matching the look and pattern of the late-1920s E. 1st Street lampposts. Although the neighborhood tried to make this happen over 2 decades ago, in 2014 a committee formed inspired by historic preservation, worked with the City of Long Beach Public Works to uncover the 1927 sketch of the E. 1st Street poles and reached out to the original manufacturer still in-business today. Now that same American company is proudly making the Project’s lampposts from the same old specifications.

SUPPORT THE PROJECT

Walking Tour of the Bluff Park Historic District — SOLD OUT on Sundays, August 23 & 30, 2026. Thanks to overwhelming sales, the tours on both dates sold out early on August 19. Did you miss it? Want to be notified of future tours? Complete the form HERE.

Long Beach Gives 2026 — Early Giving Starts Thursday, September 17. Culminates on Thursday, September 24. The BPNA is once again taking part in the city’s annual day of giving. Every dollar (and every Matching Donor Challenge) helps fund Phase 4. Costs are going up but we’re accumulating funds and need your donations and help to determine when and where Phase 4 will be installed. Details HERE.

Giving Tuesday — Tuesday, December 1, 2026. A nationwide day of giving.

Commemorative Plaque on a Future Phase — 80 new donor plaques will be installed on the new lamppost bases in Phase 4. It’s not too late. Personalize yours in memory, honor, celebration or recognition of someone or something, for a suggested donation of $1000 or more. Donate HERE.

Volunteer to Help Us Grow the Project and Fulfill Its Vision — Call us at (562) 449-0977. Email lamppostproject @ bluffpark. org. Contact us HERE.

OUR HISTORY

Conceived in 2014 by a BPNA subcommittee that spent three years researching the neighborhood’s historic precedent, the Project set out to replace uncharacteristic modern street lights with lampposts matching the City’s original 1927 E. 1st Street design — made by the same American manufacturer, Union Metal, still in business today.

Since then, three phases have brought that vision to life:

Phase 1 (2019) — Paloma Avenue. Dedicated at a public ceremony and block party, “Lighting the 1st Path,” on July 27, 2019.

Phase 2 (2021) — Temple Avenue. Celebrated with a special dedication event on September 22, 2021, sponsored in part by the Port of Long Beach.

Phase 3 (2024) — Molino Avenue, backed in part by a Navy Trust grant and the City of Long Beach’s Elevate ’28 Infrastructure Improvement Plan.. Marked with “Puttin’ on the Ritz with Lamppost Glitz” on August 17, 2024 — also sponsored in part by the Port of Long Beach — and later celebrated at Beacons Honored: Plaques Unveiled on September 10, 2025, when 80 new donor plaques were revealed around the Molino Avenue lamppost bases.

By the numbers: 3 phases done · 3 streets transformed · 30 historic-style lampposts installed · 240 donor plaques affixed · over $300,000 raised since 2014 through grassroots donors, fundraisers, and grants alone — with additional City budget and logistical support helping move the Project forward on top of that.

Curious about the full story — the block parties, the donors, the City Council votes? Read the complete project history HERE.

Read the Complete Project History Here

WHAT’S NEXT : PHASE 4 AND BEYOND

As Long Beach prepares to welcome the world for the 2028 Olympics, the Historic Lamppost Project keeps illuminating Bluff Park’s character, one street at a time. But three phases still isn’t the whole district — the vision covers the entire area roughly from Junipero to Loma, and Ocean Blvd to Broadway.

Where will Phase 4 go? That’s up to you. Location and timing depend on where residents show the most interest, engagement, and donor support. As our mentor Helena Segelhorst likes to say: “It’s doable!”

Join us — as a donor, a volunteer, or a future host street. Contact us or email lamppostproject@bluffpark.org.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Every donation is fully tax-deductible. Even small donations help in big ways.

Give $1,000 or more and you’ll be recognized on an engraved plaque at the base of a lamppost — a legacy that lasts for generations.

Donate Now via PayPal or credit card, or:

Check (preferred): payable to BPNA, memo “Lamppost Project,” mailed to P.O. Box 14682, Long Beach, CA 90853-4682
Venmo: @BluffParkNA (code 4911)
Zelle: treasurer@bluffpark.org
Employer Matching Funds: many companies match employee gifts — ask us how

After donating, please fill out our Donor Preferences Form so we can thank you properly.

Want to see where past donors’ plaques are? Find the map here.

The Historical Society of Long Beach calls it best: “BPNA has resolved to bring vintage lampposts back where they once stood, to enhance their neighborhood’s sense of place, history and camaraderie.”

Together, we are Bringing Lamppost History Back.

STAY INFORMED

Click here to join our email list for updates and news. Click here to read our prior e-blasts. To help prevent our emails from going into your spam folder, add lamppostproject @ bluffpark. org to your trusted Contacts list.

PHOTOS

Check out the Gallery page for photos from all of our fundraiser events!

IN THE NEWS

Read all about it! Click here to see the instances where the Project has been in the news.

WHERE IS MY PLAQUE

Where are the plaques already installed, and what do they say? Stroll the streets and look around the bases of the newly installed lampposts. So far, 240 engraved plaques have been affixed.

Read the stories and legacies of our donors and supporters.

Find an index of the plaque engravings, locations, and maps for