S. Oregon Coast's Cape Blanco First Lit in Dec 1870: A Look At That Lens

Updated 10/02/26 at 12:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

NOTE: part of this article pertains to a celebration in 2026, but the rest is about the history of the Cape Blanco Light

(Port Orford, Oregon) – When the Cape Blanco Lighthouse first lit up on December 20, 1870, there were a lot of little historical connections. The Oregon Coast itself was newly named: this place had only become a state 11 years earlier. And it wasn't quite fifty years that the Fesnel lens had been in existence. The very thing that made Cape Blanco's light a decent light had been invented in 1822 by a guy named – you guessed it – Fresnel. (Photo Bureau of Land Management)

According to the Cape Blanco Historical Society's Jack Graham, it was head keeper Harvey Burnap who fired up the station’s first-order fixed lens from the Henry-Lepaute works in Paris. Its drum-shaped panels produced a steady 45,765-candlepower beam visible 21 miles offshore.

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse has just begun its 155th year as of this December, and it was good cause to look back at the history of its mighty glass wonder.

“The Fresnel lens was a game-changer in optics, particularly for lighthouses,” wrote Graham recently.

One thing true of all lighthouses in the world is that they have a distinct signal: meaning how many long and short blinks and the intervals between. Sometime just after 1911, Cape Blanco’s steady beam was replaced with a flashing characteristic using an eclipsing device driven by clockwork - adding “winding the machinery” to the keepers’ daily duties.

Cape Blanco in 1936

Electrification arrived in early 1936, along with a new eight-sided, rotating second-order beehive lens from Henry-Lepaute. The original first-order lens was removed, shipped to Tongue Point in Astoria, and vanished from the historical record. Head Keeper Orlo Hayward supervised the transition, but the new lens arrived damaged: a sprung door frame and three broken bull’s-eye prisms. An investigation found Assistant Keeper E.E. Lewis negligent; he resigned in 1937. The repairs, carried out by Louis Sautter of the famed Sautter lens works in Paris, left Cape Blanco with a rare artifact signed by two master craftsmen - Augustin Henry-Lepaute and Sautter himself.

Courtesy BLM

The second-order lens measured 4'8" across and 6'8" tall. Driven by an electric motor, it produced a distinctive 20-second flash cycle visible 26 miles at sea. This level of automation foreshadowed the eventual end of resident lighthouse keepers.

Operations remained steady through the mid-20th century, even in 1939 when the Bureau of Lighthouses merged into the U.S. Coast Guard. During World War II, the USCG established a base and added numerous structures, including a LORAN station. In 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy attempted - unsuccessfully - to use the light as a reference point for dropping incendiary bombs on the Oregon coast.

Keeper's quarters

These days, Cape Blanco's light is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Oregon and the westernmost active light in the contiguous United States.

“Cape Flattery Lighthouse, WA, no longer has a light,” Graham noted.

That new lens continued shining until 1992 when vandals broke it, but it was replaced about two years later, and then once more in 2002.

In 2023, the lens stopped rotating due to motor failure, likely caused by worn bearings. The room is now curtained - echoing pre-USCG practice to protect a stationary lens - and a temporary LED beacon shines to the west while experts assess the historic mechanism.

“The fresnel lens is due an inspection,” said Rebecca Malamud-Evans, director of the Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS) in 2026. “Our priority is keeping that on schedule for everyone who is involved and cares about the Cape Blanco Lighthouse.”

The landmark is still in fundraising mode with plenty of need for repairs. See saveourlighthouse.net .

In the meantime, 155 years is something to whoop it for.

“We will be celebrating the 155th Anniversary all season out at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse Greeting Center Gift Shop with interesting exhibits and entertaining events for our visitors,” Malamud-Evans said. “Keep an eye out for details on our annual Christmas Concert that is a Southern Oregon Coast Tradition held annually each year on December 20th (the anniversary date of our first lighting).”

Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

 

Rarest of Finds for Oregon Coast Holiday Weekend: Handful of Hotel Openings Left
3 Jul 2026 at 9:36pm
Two in Lincoln City and two in Newport. Newport hotel reviews, Lincoln City hotel reviews. Coho Oceanfront Lodge, Hotely Sylvia, Inn at Nye Beach, Surfland Hotel

Three Distinctive, Unique Places to Spend the Night in Pacific City - N. Oreg...
One in Neskowin, two rentals homes in town. Lodging reviews, hotel reviews

Mark Stevens Reviewed Agate Beach Motel, Newport.
22 Oct 2026 at 8:56pm
This little getaway is one of our 'got to' spots on the Oregon coast. Recently updated, friendly staff, clean and comfortable, good access to the beach and that wonderful view, oh my.

Waldport Hotels - Oregon Coast
Waldport lodging news, Waldport hotel news, Seal Rock hotel reviews, Waldport hotel reviews, vacation rentals

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles)

Mussels, Razor Clams Reopen on Majority of Oregon Coast
Tillamook Head (Cannon Beach) down to Cape Blanco is again open. Marine sciences

South Oregon Coast Wilderness: Tseriadun State Scenic Rec Site, Paradise Point, Agate Beach
24 Sep 2026 at 7:21am
Four miles of crazy finds, yet another Agate Beach, an angry river and Cape Blanco. Port Orford, Curry County

S. Oregon Coast's Cape Blanco First Lit in Dec 1870: A Look At That Lens
2 Oct 2026 at 9:58pm
Historical look at the two lenses used since 1870. Port Orford events, history

Twinkly Holiday at Historic Hughes House on South Oregon Coast's Cape Blanco - Port Orford
Two days of tea time Dec 15-16, then six days of holiday fun Dec 17-22. South coast events

South Oregon Coast: Elk River, 1 Mile from Paradise Point and a Handful
6 Oct 2026 at 5:49pm
Near Port Orford, Cape Blanco, Sixes, Tseriadun and Garrison Lake

S. Oregon Coast Lighthouse Behind a Curtain: Cape Blanco Temporary Lamp, Gift Shop, Weather Reports
Different, temporary light source for a time in front of a curtain. History, Port Orford

Shellfish Poisons Close Down More of Oregon Coast to Mussels, Razor Clams
Both paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) and domoic acid. Cape Blanco, Port Orford, Gold Beach, marine sciences

S. Oregon Coast Spring: Bandon Messages in a Bottle; Events in Port Orford, Cape Blanco
Port Orford and Bandon history events March 1; Bottles return in March. South coast events

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright © Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted