Twenty years ago, in 1998, Google was founded. The Vietnam War started over 50 years ago, World War II almost 80. People first started driving cars 110 years ago. And through it all, the Livermore Light Bulb has stayed glowing at Fire Station 6 in Livermore, California. At 119 years old and counting, the Centennial Light holds the record for the longest-burning light bulb in history.
The Centennial Light has been on 24/7 that entire time, except the one time retired Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bramell got one of the scariest calls of his life. The day he thought he lost a friend.
“I had been retired for 10 years in 2013,” he recalled, “but the fire station's captain called me at three in the morning. He said, 'You're not going to believe this. But the light bulb went out.'” Bramell was the fire chief for 30 years and all those years had worked under the light bulb.
“I got a sunken feeling in my stomach right away,” continued Bramell. “I told him I'd head down there in a few minutes. The press was already there.” As Bramell was speeding to the station with panic churning his stomach, something dawned on him. In 2000, the light's 100th year anniversary, they had installed a back-up power system so the light wouldn't go out if the power went down. Turns out the light bulb hadn't gone out; the back-up power system's battery died. Of course.
He plugged in an extension cord on his way to the fire station that night, and when he got to the fire station the light bulb was on. It was still going strong.
“But the feeling I had... I just felt I lost a friend,” Bramell admitted. “I didn't even know what I was going to say to the press.”
Fire Station 6 in Livermore with the Centennial light burning.
It may sound silly to some people that a light bulb would have this much significance to Bramell, the fire station, and the town... But there are no other light bulbs quite like the Centennial Light. Don't get me wrong, other light bulbs have tried. But they're just nothing like the one and only Centennial Light.
Explained Bramell: “There's one in Oklahoma that's still around, too. But that one is in a hallway leading to a bathroom and it's turned off and on all the time. That's a little different.” The Centennial Light is always on.
Because of people's interest in the light bulb, the station set up a webcam fixed on the bulb in 2000. The Centennial Light has, of course, remained true to its reputation. The webcam's batteries have had to be replaced three times.
“Go figure.”
Through wars. Through inventions. Through the most marvelous and tragic world events. Through it all “this thing has been shining 24-7,” Bramell tells The Buzz. “It's been quietly doing its duty.”
The Centennial Light: A Shelby Invention
The light bulb, a 60-watt Mill Type Shelby lamp, was constructed in 1900 in Shelby, Ohio, and delivered to Dennis Bernal, the owner of the Livermore Power and Water Company.
The 60w light bulb with a carbon filament was claimed to be 20% more efficient and last 30% longer than other bulbs on the market at the time. In March 1898 it was declared the “best lamp on earth,” thanks to the filament's formula. Constructed from a plastic cellulose substance, it became pure carbon when properly baked and was so compact it almost reached similar hardness as a diamond.
But even though Shelby Electric was known for its quality and long-lasting bulbs, the Centennial Light is on an entirely different level. Back then, light bulbs lasted around 1,500 hours. Even today, light bulbs last about 25,000 hours. The Centennial Light has been logged in over “one million hours of service” and counting.
In 1901, the light bulb was donated to the fire department. It was installed at the fire department hose-car/truck house on Second Street as a night light for the volunteer firefighters, the “Livermore Fire Boys.”
It was later moved to a new fire station located at First and McLeod Street in 1906.
In 1972, a volunteer firefighter confirmed that the light had been left on for 24 hours a day to “break up the darkness for the volunteers” during his time at the station. In the same year, the local paper began to research the light's history, interviewing another volunteer firefighter who recalled the light bulb during his time as a “Livermore Fire Boy.”
Thanks to the Livermore Herald and News article, the Centennial Light was picking up traction. It had become quite the local sensation. But that was only the beginning.
In 1972, the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not both declared the Centennial Light as the “oldest known working light bulb.” That's when people started coming from all over the world to see it, either to film documentaries, research the history of light bulbs and electricity, or to just marvel at this curiosity. This outlier. This one-of-a-kind piece of history.
“Sometimes people come to see it, look at it, and go, 'That's it?'” guffawed Bramell. “I say, 'Yeah, you're looking at a light bulb.' But when you tell them the story, the history, people are pretty amazed. There's a sense of history and heritage.”
In 2015, Bramell wrote a book about his friend, “1 Million Hours of Service.” There was so much to write that he actually had to narrow it down. You can't say that about most light bulbs.
But that's because most light bulbs haven't been continuously burning for well over 100 years. And most light bulbs aren't your friend.