2016 Edition
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At 107 feet tall, the Grays Harbor Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Washington
State. Considered by its architect, Carl Leick, to be his masterpiece, the Grays
Harbor Lighthouse is the pride of Westport, Washington, and Grays Harbor County.
Construction of the lighthouse began in 1897. On June 30, 1898, a dedication
ceremony was held at the base of the lighthouse and that night marked the first
official service of the Grays Harbor Light.
Originally located approximately 300 feet from the water's edge, the lighthouse
now sits about 3,000 feet from the high tide mark. This change occurred from land
accretion in the area, due in part, by construction of the jetty system in the
early 1900s.
The walls at the base of this octagonal structure are four feet thick, tapering up
to an 18 inch width. They are made up internally of red brick and coated with
concrete on the inside and outside. A metal structure completes the top of the tower.
There are 135 steps leading up to the lantern room. The staircase is original and
forged of cast-iron. The manufacturer of the metalwork was Patrick Dundon of San
Francisco Boiler Works. The landing brackets are pieces of artwork themselves.
They are mounted to the wall to support the landings; the staircase is self supporting.
Unlike many lighthouses, the Grays Harbor Light still houses the original 3rd order
clamshell-shaped Fresnel lens. This lens was built in Paris, France in 1895 and
visitors can climb to the lens (or lantern) room level. The flash pattern of this
lens was, and still is, red and white to mark the opening to Grays Harbor. As the
lighthouse itself is still an aid to navigation, visitors are able to see the
current beacon mounted to the outside railing.
With a 360 degree view of the oean and surrounding areas, it is a photographer's
dream. Come on a clear day and you might even be able to see the top of Mount
Rainier to the east.
Sometimes I plan a pretty good trip and sometimes things go off flawlessly
due to dumb luck. Today's trip got pretty botched due to poor planning and
not much luck coming my way :(
Luckily, we found another lighthouse and got some decent pictures in the area.
Julie was a good sport about it and hardly grumbled at all.....
The Original Easyrider®
Motorcycle Touring Forum
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