Umpqua River Oregon Fresnel Lens
Harbour Lights #802

Construction on the Umpqua River Light began in 1890, after the original 1857 tower fell into the sea during a winter storm. This sentinel of the sea stands at the entrance of Winchester Bay and at the mouth of the Umpqua River. A sister to the Heceta Head Light, a few miles north, it has a signature of two white flashes with a red flash casting its light some twenty miles out into the sea.

Three years after construction began, the new lighthouse standing 165’ above sea level was completed. On December 31, 1894, the First Order Fresnel lens manufactured by Barbier and Cie Paris was lit!

The light was only lit one hour before sunset until one hour after sunrise. To protect the lens from the sun, a curtain was drawn around the lantern room. In the 1960’s, when the light was automated, it was more convenient to leave the light lit for 24 hours.

The chariot wheel that rotated the beacon became worn with age, prompting the United States Coast Guard to consider replacing the First Order Lens with a modern optic. The response from the community was outrage! People from the surrounding communities of Winchester Bay, Reedsport and Gardiner gathered thousands of signatures in protest of this proposal. In 1985, with the support of their senators and congressmen, the United States Coast Guard relented and the chariot wheels were rebuilt!

In this, the 21st century, the First Order Fresnel Lens shines brightly.