- **** Yaquina Bay
- 1871. Reactivated (inactive 1874-1996, now privately maintained);
focal plane 165 ft (50 m); continuous white light. 51 ft (16 m) square
cylindrical wood tower mounted on the roof of a 2-story wood keeper's
house; 250 mm lens. Building painted white with red trim; lantern and
gallery are painted bright red. James Gitchell's 2023 photo is at right, Anderson has a fine page with
several good photos, a 2022 photo is available, Bill Britten
has a good photo,
Trabas has a photo by SJP, Larry Myhre has a photothe University of Oregon Library has a historic photo, Marinas.com has distant aerial
photos, Denise Barlock has a street view, Kyle Kunze has a more distant street view from the beach, and Google has a satellite view. Though it served only briefly as a lighthouse the building
was a lifesaving station for many years. Friends
of Yaquina Lighthouses worked for its restoration and reactivation.
Believed to be the oldest building in Newport, the lighthouse is now
a museum. Lighthouse painted in 2000. Lighthouse Digest has
a November 2005 article on
the history of the station. Oregon State Parks began a $1.6 million restoration of the building fin late 2024. As part of the project the lantern was removed and sent for restoration by Allen Architectural Metals in Alabama. Located on the north side of the Yaquina
Bay entrance in Newport, just off US 101; Site open, museum and tower
open daily year round (free, donations requested). Group tours can
be arranged and the lighthouse is a popular site for weddings. Parking is at the viewpoint parking lot below the lighthouse; a long stairway leads to the lighthouse. Owner:
Oregon State Parks (Yaquina
Bay State Recreation Area). Site manager: Friends ofYaquina
Lighthouses
. ARLHS USA-906; Admiralty G4490.2; USCG 6-9613.
- **** Yaquina
Head
- 1873. Active; focal plane 162 ft (49 m); two white flashes every
20 s, flashes separated by 2 s, day and night. 93 ft (28 m) brick tower
attached to a 1-story brick oil house. The original Barbier & Fenestre
1st order Fresnel
lens (1868) is still in use. Tower painted white, lantern black,
lantern roof red. Sibling of the Pigeon Point lighthouse in Northern California. The original principal
keeper's house was demolished in 1938, but the assistant keeper's house,
two more modern keeper's houses (1922 and 1938), oil house (1889),
barn (1886), stable, and other light station buildings are preserved.
Mitch Gainer's 2022 photo is at the top of this page, Anderson has photos and historical
information, Stephanie Scott has a 2021 photo, Larry Eiring has a good closeup photo, Michael Overstreet has a 2014 street view, Trabas has SJP's photo, the University of Oregon Library has a historic photo taken in the 1890s, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a satellite view. This is a classic: one of the best known and most often visited
lighthouses of the Pacific Northwest, and also the tallest Oregon lighthouse. The Coast Guard transferred ownership to the Bureau of Land Managenemnt in 1993. In 2005-06 a $1 million appropriation
from Congress funded a thorough restoration of
the lens and lighthouse; Lighthouse Digest has a March 2006 article describing
this project. The restoration was completed in
June 2006. In October 2014 the lighthouse closed for three months for repainting and exterior repairs. Site open (entry fee to area), tower normally open daily. Located
at the end of Lighthouse Drive off US 101 in Agate Beach, 2 miles (3
km) north of Newport. Accessible by a short walk from the parking area at the end of the road. Owner: U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Site manager: Yaquina
Head Outstanding Natural Area and Friends ofYaquina
Lighthouses
. ARLHS USA-907; Admiralty G4506;
USCG 6-0650.
|
Yaquina Bay Light, Newport, October 2023
Google Maps photo by James Gitchell |