The Centennial Light in the Guinness Book of World Records

Julie Diebolt Price
PhotoTravelWrite
Published in
4 min readMar 29, 2022

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The Centennial Light at Fire Station No. 6
Bulb camera is trained on The Centennial Light at Livermore Fire Station №6 — Photo ©2022 Julie Diebolt Price

This article first appeared on PhotoTravelWrite.com/Write March 28, 2022

The Centennial Light, housed in a fire station, is the longest burning light bulb on the planet and in history. It’s been burning for 120 years as of June 2021.

I first learned about the Centennial Light on a media trip to the Tri-Valley area. With so many great things to do in the region, this little innocuous light might hardly warrant a visit. The four communities of Danville, Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton make up the Tri-Valley which is east of San Francisco.

Livermore Fire Station №6 is located at 4550 East Avenue in Livermore, California. However, it was an enlightening experience (pun intended), and the Fire Station Chief accommodated my visit even though I didn’t have an appointment. The Chief proudly opened the doors so I could easily see the fire engines and the Centennial Light, which is not visible from the windows.

Why the Centennial Light Is Important

The Centennial Light, an incandescent lightbulb, was donated to the Fire Department in 1901 by Dennis Bernal, who owned the Livermore Power and Light Co.

Invented by Adolphe A. Chaillet, the Shelby Electric Company made this improved incandescent lamp. It is…

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Julie Diebolt Price
PhotoTravelWrite

Freelance journalist, pro photographer, and travel writer. I am exploring mindfulness, aging, health & wellness, labyrinths, humanism.