Lighthouse

On June 30, 1898, people gathered from the towns of Hoquiam, Westport, Aberdeen and all the settlements in between for the dedication and lighting ceremony of the Grays Harbor Lighthouse.

The Westport area had become a major logging port in the late nineteenth century. By the time the lighthouse was built, at least 50 ships had foundered near the entrance to Grays Harbor. A lighthouse was commissioned for the area in 1897, and Point Chehalis, on the south end of the bay was selected for the site.

C.W. Leick, who designed Grays Harbor Lighthouse, considered it his masterpiece. Standing 107 feet tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in Washington, and the third tallest on the West Coast. The base of the lighthouse rests on a 12-foot-thick foundation of sandstone. The lighthouse walls, which are four feet thick at the base, are made of brick with a coating of cement on the exterior. 135 metal stairs bolted to the wall lead to the lantern room. Originally windows lit the interior of the tower, but to cut down on maintenance they were cemented over when electricity was added to the station.