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Out There: Heceta Head Lighthouse By Paul Hadella Sep 02, 2011 12:00 AM A A It is almost as if there are two different Heceta Head lighthouses. There is the one that I admired from a few miles away after parking at a turnout along Highway 101. Nestled at the edge of the tree-capped headland, which rises above huge offshore rocks, the snow-white building with tower seems part of a scene conjured by a wizard. And then there is the lighthouse I saw up close as I lined up for a free tour of the building — the weather-beaten version with chunks of exterior plaster missing and rust-colored stains running down the side of the 56-foot-high tower. Inside the lighthouse, volunteer Nita Doyal pointed out crumbling bricks and sections of the wall slimed by green moss. I had dropped by on Aug. 13, two days before a major renovation of the lighthouse was set to begin. The site will be closed for at least two years while workers do everything from masonry repair and exterior painting to sealing leaks and upgrading the dehumidification system. Restoration — bringing the building as close to how it looked in the 1890s as possible — is as much a goal as repair. For example, windows that were bricked-in years ago will be reopened and fitted with panes historically accurate in style. All in all, the $1.3 million project, funded mainly by a federal grant, should bring the lighthouse you can touch in accord with the perfect one you can see from afar. Creating an iconic image for travelers to admire was not on the minds of the maritime officials who petitioned Congress for the lighthouse in the late 1880s. According to tour guide Doyal, their main concern was closing a significant gap in the coastal navigational network along the Pacific. There was no lighthouse between Coos Bay and Newport, a stretch of 80 miles. Located roughly midway between those two ports, Heceta Head — named after 18th-century Spanish explorer Bruno Heceta — protruded prominently into the ocean. Bricks from San Francisco and other building materials could be shipped into Florence, just 13 miles south of the head. In short, knowing an ideal location when it saw one, the U.S. Lighthouse Board approved the site for a station, 200 feet up from the base of the 1,000-foot headland. The entire campus-like facility would include not only the lighthouse and tower, but also two keepers' houses, two oil-storage buildings and a barn. Construction of the station, begun in 1892 and completed in August 1893, went more quickly than the painstaking renovation project is expected to go. The renowned Chance Brothers glassworks company of England made the first-order Fresnel lens, with its eight panels of prismatic plates. On March 30, 1894, keeper Andrew Hald lit the wick of the kerosene lamp inside the lens for the first time, and the Heceta Head light shot its beam across the ocean waters. Visible from 21 miles out at sea, it was the brightest light on the Oregon Coast. The station employed three keepers, a headman and two assistants, who traded 12-hour shifts. As government workers, they were expected to exemplify professionalism and were subjected to frequent inspections. A dirty uniform could result in a downgrade, so they donned a white smock when cleaning soot from the lens. Though the lens now rotates electronically, rather than by a weight-and-pulley clockwork system, this magnificent piece of craftsmanship is still intact — still flashing its signal every 10 seconds. During the renovation, workers will take fanatical care to make sure it is not damaged. While lens aficionados wait for Heceta Head to reopen, they can see Fresnel lenses at two lighthouses closest to Heceta Head: Umpqua River in Winchester Bay (south) and Yaquina Head in Newport (north). Alas, the renovation won't replace the head lightkeeper's house, which was sold in 1940 — for 10 bucks. The buyer tore the building down and used the lumber for a building project. The remaining house was a duplex for the assistants and their families. It now serves as a bed-and-breakfast, which will continue to welcome guests while the lighthouse gets its makeover. All other parts of the facility will be strictly off limits to the public. "It is said to be the most photographed lighthouse in the United States," our tour guide, Ms. Doyal, boasted. Certainly that magical view from Highway 101 is one of Oregon's most beloved images, featured on calendars, postcards, mouse pads — you name it. Lighthouse lovers can't wait to see what the close-up looks like two years from now. Paul Hadella is a freelance writer living in Talent. Reach him at [email protected]. Heceta Head Lighthouse, suffering cracks, stains and missing masonry, is undergoing a major renovation to bring it as close to how it looked in the 1890s as possible. - Photo by Paul Hadella