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Lighthouse History
Built: 1894
Type: Conical attached to
Workroom
Height: 56 feet
Status: Active
Location: Florence
Elevation: 205 feet
Lens: First order Fresnel
Keepers: Olaf Hansen 1896
to 1902 and again from 1904 to 1920
Notes: The light was first
lit in 1894. The tower was identical in design to the Umpqua River light.
The 56-foot tower displayed a first-order Fresnel lens built by Chance
Brothers in England, which was unusual since most US lenses were built
in France. Two residences were built - a single home for the principal
keeper, and a duplex for two assistant keepers.
Early keepers at Heceta
Head did not stay long. However, some did remain for extended stays. Olaf
Hansen served at Heceta Head from 1896 to 1902, and again from 1904 to
1920. Hansen served as lighthouse keeper, postmaster for the small local
post office, and school board member for the school built nearby in 1916.
Of the fourteen children at the school, nine were from the lighthouse,
and six were members of the Hansen family.
The schoolhouse and post
office at Heceta Head were built due to the station's isolation. This changed
in 1932 when construction of the Oregon Coast Highway (US 101) linked Yachats
and Florence. The road passed the lighthouse, linking Heceta Head with
the nearby towns. Electricity reached the lighthouse in 1934. The second
keeper's position was deemed unnecessary, so both keepers moved into the
duplex, and the principal keeper's residence was torn down.
The lighthouse received
additional visitors during World War II. Patrols assigned to the coast
between Florence and Yachats were stationed in barracks built on the site
of the principal keeper's residence.
The lighthouse was automated
in 1963. The last keeper was Oswald Allik, who was also the last keeper
at Tillamook Rock. The Coast Guard continued to maintain the tower, but
the remaining residence fell into disrepair. The residence was eventually
leased to Lane Community College. More recently, the residence was turned
into a bed and breakfast.
Today, the lighthouse is
part of Heceta Head State Park. Direct access through Devil's Elbow
State Park. |