The Lighthouse At Heceta Head

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational... more

by Jon Burch Photography

Title

The Lighthouse At Heceta Head

Artist

Jon Burch Photography

Medium

Photograph - Digital Capture & Digital Enhancement

Description

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.

Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, and safe entries to harbors; they also assist in aerial navigation. Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and use of electronic navigational systems.

Before the development of clearly defined ports, mariners were guided by fires built on hilltops. Since raising the fire would improve the visibility, placing the fire on a platform became a practice that led to the development of the lighthouse. In antiquity, the lighthouse functioned more as an entrance marker to ports than as a warning signal for reefs and promontories, unlike many modern lighthouses.

The Heceta Head Llighthouse is located at the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint midway up a 205-foot-tall headland near the Pacific Ocean. Built in 1894, the 56-foot tall lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 nautical miles, making it the strongest light on the Oregon Coast.

The light is maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, while the assistant lighthouse keepers' house, operates as a bed-and-breakfast inn, and is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.

Heceta Head is named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century. Before him, it was a spot of frequent fishing and hunting by the Native American tribes that populated the area.

In 1892, a crew of 56 began construction on the light. Because of the site's seclusion, building materials were either shipped in if the weather and tide permitted, or brought from Florence by wagon, the latter usually taking four or five hours. Stones were brought from the Clackamas River and bricks came from San Francisco. Completed in August 1893, the entire project cost $80,000.

Some digital effects were applied to this original image after the photograph was made. No electrons were harmed during the transition. Ordered images will not contain the FAA watermark.

Image copyright 2018 by Jon Burch Photography.

Uploaded

April 20th, 2018