The Historic “King” Street Lights of Outpost Estates

Sep 28

One of the charming, defining features of the original Outpost Estates neighborhood is its distinctive vintage street lighting. These lights are more than functional—they’re part of the identity and character of our community. Below is what neighbors should know about them, their challenges, and how we as a community are working to preserve them.

✨ A Legacy in Iron: The “King” Street Lights

When Outpost Estates was developed in the 1920s, the original developer (Mr. Toberman) paid to install all infrastructure: streets, sidewalks, underground utilities, and the street lights. The historic lights known locally as “King” model fixtures were part of that original investment.
In early Los Angeles, developers often specified custom streetlights for new subdivisions rather than relying on standardized fixtures. The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) later took over maintenance but many neighborhoods still retain their original fixture styles (see the history of LA street lighting here).
Because the original boundaries of Outpost Estates aligned with where those “King” lights were installed, the placement of these lights still helps define the historic neighborhood limits. As the neighborhood has grown and developed, newer sections of Outpost Estates do not have the historic “King” lights. Replacing the modern day standard street lights with the historic “King” lights would cost around $5,200 per light and would require funding from the neighborhood or property owners rather than reliance on the City.

Picture of the top of one of the “King” street lights in Outpost Estates.

📍 See the Map of Street Lights

Did you know there are over 200 street lights in Outpost Estates?
The City of Los Angeles maintains a public map of street light locations. You can explore it here:
👉 Street Light Map – LA GeoHub
Zoom in on Outpost Estates and you’ll see the exact placement of street lights in our neighborhood. If you hover over or click on the blue dot indicating where a street light is located it pulls up the “Street Light ID” number (listed as STLID) which is helpful to reference when reporting any issues with street lights when communicating with the City.
Here are helpful maps that show which street lights are connected to which electrical circuit: Map 209 | Map 210.

A screenshot of the Los Angeles City Street Light Map.

💸 When the Lights Break: Challenges & Costs

Historic “King” lights are made of wrought iron and are custom fabricated, so replacements aren’t stocked. If one is damaged—say, by a 🚗 car accident—it can take about 6 months to replace. These fixtures are not held in inventory.
Cost of replacement: approximately $5,200 per fixture (labor and materials).
Recently, many lights in upper and lower Outpost Estates have gone dark due to ⚡ copper wire theft. Some have been out for over 3 months.
The LA Bureau of Street Lighting warns that by end of 2025, repair response times could take up to a year. This is due to stagnant revenue, rising maintenance costs, and more frequent theft. In one recent court case, the City paid out $21 million following injury from a falling, decayed streetlight.
BSL Director, Miguel Sangalang, has noted that while reports of broken lights have surged (nearly 46,000 in one recent year, up 43% over 2023), the bureau’s funding has been largely frozen since 1996, limiting capacity to respond.

Picture of a damaged historic King street light on Outpost Drive in 2023 after a diesel rig ran over it.

Picture of street lighting control box in Outpost Estates that was broken into in 2025. Someone stole copper wire, which has left many street lights in Outpost Estates dark.

🛠️ ONA’s Role: Advocacy, Maintenance & Community Action

Outpost Neighborhood Association (ONA) actively engages with city officials, service departments, and neighbors to protect and maintain our historic street lighting infrastructure:

Collaboration with City Council & City Services:
ONA meets regularly with our Councilmember’s office and with BSL staff to advocate for prioritized repair of “King” lights in Outpost Estates, to ensure funds are allocated, and to press for replacement of wire theft and vandalism vulnerabilities.
Annual Maintenance & Visibility Efforts:
Each year, ONA cleans historic street lights (removing debris, cobwebs, etc.) and trims surrounding brush/landscaping so the fixtures and poles remain visible and safe. This helps reduce risk, prolong fixture life, and ensure they remain part of the streetscape.
Reporting & Tracking:
Street light repairs happen on a first-in, first-out basis, so ONA encourages neighbors to report outages right away using myLA311. Click here for how to report.

One of the easiest ways to submit a request for city services is using the MyLA311 mobile app.

🌃 Historic Streetlights as Iconic Cultural Assets

The “Urban Light” art installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Image source: https://collections.lacma.org/node/214966

Outpost Estates’ lighting is part of a broader cultural tradition in Los Angeles: streetlights are not just utilitarian but have inspired art, preservation, and even museums.

In 2008 the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) installed an art piece featuring historic LA Street Lights titled “Urban Light” which has now become a popular tourist attraction.
There is a hidden museum of streetlights in downtown LA—a collection of vintage light poles, fixtures, and artifacts preserved out of public view. The museum celebrates the history of illumination in Los Angeles, including styles that once dotted neighborhoods like ours. (Source: LAist podcast “There’s a Hidden Museum of Streetlights”)
These cultural references underscore that street lighting can be both practical and symbolic—linking past to present, utility to memory, and neighborhood aesthetics to the city’s broader heritage.

The Historic Streetlight Museum has the most comprehensive collection of Los Angeles streetlights. Image source: https://laist.com/podcasts/off-ramp/theres-a-hidden-museum-of-streetlights-in-downtown-los-angeles

🔭 Looking Forward

The “King” streetlights are a signature of Outpost Estates’ heritage. While they face risks from damage, theft, and repair delays, they remain an essential part of our streetscape and neighborhood identity. With consistent reporting and community care, we can help keep our lights shining bright for years to come. ✨

Click on the images below to see a presentation from 2023 from the Los Angeles City Bureau of Street Lighting for details on the street lighting program and what they are working on the help repair, restore and preserve street lights in the City.