Back in the 1970’s somebody decided to find out just how long a light bulb would last and who had the longest-burning bulb. Earlier lights were made to last, not burn out after a few hundred hours as they do now.
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photo by Dick Jones
The search was made and the top ten longest-burning bulbs – still in use – were compiled and verified by the Guinness Book of Records. The top three lamps were (and still are):
1. Firehouse night light at the Livermore, California, Fire Department – burning since June 8, 1901.
2. Stage door entry light at Byers Opera House, Ft. Worth, Texas – burning since Sept. 21, 1908.
3. Firehouse night light at the Mangum, Oklahoma Fire Department – burning since 1927.
Now these aren’t bulbs that are only turned on for special occasions. In order to be listed they have to be on ALL the time. Naturally, they have been off during power outages or while being relocated. But by and large, they have been burning constantly all those years.
Let’s check these ageless light bulbs now:
The Centennial Bulb
Livermore Fire Station 6
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Chief Lynn Owens (Ret.)
This undisputed champion has resided in four different firehouses in Livermore, California. The first home was Hose Cart Station No. 1 on L St. in 1901. As the city grew and newer fire stations were constructed, it was always carefully transferred to its new quarters. The last relocation was in 1976 when it was moved to the newly-built Station 6 on East Avenue.
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The light bulb was made by the Shelby Electric Co. in Ohio. It is a hand-blown bulb with a carbon filament made following a newly-patented design and consumes about 4 watts of power. The president of the Livermore Power & Light Co. donated the bulb to the fire department.
It has always been hooked up with a direct connection to the electric service and never into a circuit connected with the back-up generator to avoid a destructive power surge when the generator comes on. During its lifetime it has always been used as a night light in the engine bay.
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With the help and generosity of the nearby Sandia Laboratories, they now have a permanently operating “Bulb Cam” that is trained on the lightbulb and in constant view over the internet. It refreshes the image every 10 seconds. The firefighters encourage visitors to use their cellphones to call a friend back home to log on and screen-capture the image with their friends in the picture.
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On the bulb’s 100th Anniversary in 2001 it was officially dubbed the “Centennial Light.” There was a big celebration and festive events in the town for the occasion.
A special committee dedicated to the protection and well-being of the Centennial Bulb has a wonderful website that is worth taking your time to visit. They have loads of links and photographs covering all historical aspects of this oddity.
Visit the website HERE.
View the Bulb Cam HERE.
The Palace Light
Ft. Worth, Texas
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Byers Opera House – 1908
In September, 1908, a stagehand at Byer’s Opera House screwed a new lightbulb into the fixture over the backstage entrance and it just never went out. Number 2 on the lightbulb longevity list, this “eternal light” was renamed in 1920 when the theater became a movie house called The Palace Theater. When the theater was torn down in 1977, the bulb was placed in a special exhibit in the Stockyards Museum where it continues its 24-hr. daily illumination. They will be celebrating its 100th birthday later this year.
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The Bulb
Mangum, Oklahoma, Fire Station
Number Three on the Bulbs of Fame list is simply known as “The Bulb” and has been illuminating the Mangum, Oklahoma, Fire Department since 1927. Originally placed in the engine bay, it was relocated to the upstairs dormitory in the 1960’s.
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At one point during that time, the firefighters painted the globe black so that it wouldn’t be so disturbing during sleep time. But the heat of the bulb eventually caused most of the paint to dry up and flake off. Now they take a lot better care of it. They also keep it covered with a smoked safety shade to both protect it and mute the brightness.
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After a bad storm in 1994 the town was without electricity for a week. But when the power came back on, The Bulb glowed right back into service.
Fire Chief Steven Slaton says, “If you think about it, the state of Oklahoma was 30 years old when that light bulb was screwed in. It’s kind of a little treasure we have, and we’d love to share it with the world whatever who wants to come by and look.”
They are genuinely enthusiastic about welcoming visitors to see #3. Even if it’s late at night, just ring the doorbell and someone will gladly let you in.
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Recently Oklahoma City tv ch. 9, KWTV did a wonderful video report on The Bulb and you can view it HERE.
A hat tip and special thanks to Emily C. for getting us the Mangum bulb story.
