Cape Meares Light facts for kids
The Cape Meares Light is an old lighthouse on the Oregon Coast in Oregon. It's located on Cape Meares, a beautiful spot just south of Tillamook Bay. Even though it's not used anymore, you can visit it!
Contents
The Lighthouse's Story
Building the Light
The Cape Meares Lighthouse was built in 1890. Its job was to guide ships safely into Tillamook Bay. When it was first built, the lighthouse area had two homes for the keepers, two oil storage buildings, and two water tanks. A long boardwalk, about 300 meters (1,000 feet) long, connected these buildings to the lighthouse.
Later, a workroom was added in 1895, and a garage in 1934. The lighthouse tower itself was made of iron plates. Because it faced harsh weather, it needed to be painted often. This lighthouse never had a foghorn. In 1934, the light got electricity. This meant the oil houses were no longer needed, so they were removed.
Saving the Lighthouse
In 1963, the lighthouse was turned off. A newer tower took its place. The next year, the Coast Guard planned to tear down the old lighthouse. But people living nearby spoke up and said no! Because of their strong protests, the plans to demolish it were stopped.
The Coast Guard then gave the lighthouse to Tillamook County. It stayed empty until 1968, when the Oregon State Parks Department took over. During this time, the lighthouse was sadly damaged by vandals. The homes where the keepers lived were so damaged that they had to be torn down.
Restoring the Light
Vandals also stole four special glass pieces, called "bulls-eyes," from the lighthouse's main lens. This lens was a Fresnel lens, which is a special type of lens that makes light very bright and focused.
In 1968, the lighthouse was opened to the public, and most of it was fixed. However, the missing bulls-eyes were still gone. Over time, three of the four stolen bulls-eyes have been found and returned! The light from Cape Meares could be seen up to 21 miles away. Four sides of its eight-sided lens had red glass. This made the light flash red and white as it turned. In 1980, visitors were allowed to go inside the tower itself.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This list helps protect important historical places.
The U.S. Coast Guard officially turned off the Cape Meares Light for good on June 25, 2014. It was decided that the light was no longer needed to help ships navigate safely along the coast.
See also
- List of lighthouses on the Oregon Coast
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Tillamook County, Oregon
